


Somewhere Only We Know

by CozyKotaBear



Series: More Lucky Than This [1]
Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Choking, Confessions, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Face Reveal, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Hand Jobs, Happy Ending, Jake has a thing for Michaels hands, Laurie and Michael are related, M/M, Meg and Jake are best friends, Michael loves kissing Jake, Multiple Orgasms, Mutual Pining, Panic Attacks, Pining, Size Difference, Slow Burn, maskless myers, mild Claudette and Meg relationship, mild size kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:02:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23316586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CozyKotaBear/pseuds/CozyKotaBear
Summary: Jake would say his life is good, as good as it can be under the hands of the Entity. He's done this a million times before and it's all the same.But everything started to change when Laurie and Michael show up and Jake can't place his finger on why he's getting so many free passes out of every trial.Can these evil beings think of anything other than brutality? Do they actually have a conscious outside of the Entities grasps?Whatever the answer is, Jake is going to find out.
Relationships: Michael Myers/Jake Park, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: More Lucky Than This [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1783780
Comments: 347
Kudos: 739





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends,  
> I'm sorry I'm not good with summaries, this fic is basically the Jayers slow burn fic I've always wanted.  
> Yes the rating is going to change and tags will be added as things progress :>  
> I'll be updating this fic every week!
> 
> if you can stick with me for the first couple of chapters, i promise the pay off will be worth it.

All survivors sit patiently at the campfire, there has been a calling from the entity for quite some time and they get the feeling a new survivor is coming. The entity doesn’t tell them much about what goes on in this life it’s created for the survivors. It more so lends you feelings and intuitions on what you’re supposed to do in it’s sick games.

Jake is sitting next to Dwight on an uncomfortable log but it’s the best they have, he doesn’t hang out too much around the campfire. Not like the others, Jake prefers to be alone. He spent a good portion of his time surrounded by crowds of people growing up and could go the rest of his life without.

He grew up in a wealthy family, his dad loved spending money, and every chance he got, he was throwing extravagant get-togethers with fellow billionaires and CEO’s of partnered companies. Jake’s brother lavished in all of the riches, his father showered them with gifts of all kinds.

Jake always preferred the outdoors growing up, rather than cocktails and dinner parties. He could count on his hand the amount of times he and his brother spent playing in the back, on the considerably large land their house stood on.

His brother was the academic type, always inside with his nose in a book. Jake found himself rather lonely growing up. He was always a timid kid anyway but the lack of social encounters in his life led him into his own head. He turned to nature as his comfort.

His parents didn't quite understand him, bless his mom for trying. She was always so gentle with him, very caring and Jake can say that there are some times that he misses her. His dad on the other hand, figured he could buy his son's love with materialistic things and fancy vacations, not the comfort of having his dad around to guide him through life. Those were his caretakers jobs.

Jake is leaning onto his knees, a hand under his chin. He can hear Claudette talking about their last trial from yesterday. Lucky for him and Dwight, they got to sit out of that one. It’s rather hard only being a handful of survivors in a dirty game of 4v1. Jake is almost relieved at the feeling of a new survivor coming into the mix, that could really take a load off of him. Maybe he might even get a break from more than 1 trial. 

He hasn’t had that happen in a very long time.

He glances over at Dwight, he’s biting his nails again. He tends to do that when he’s nervous. Being the kind of person that Jake is, he’s an observer and he can’t help but notice the little quirks about his fellow survivors.

Claudette is always biting her lip.

Nea won’t ever stop playing with her toque, she has a habit of taking it off, shaking her hair and then placing it back on the top of her head.

Meg likes to stroke the end of one of her braids when she is concentrating or focused in a conversation. 

It’s endearing to say the least. He can’t help but grow fond of the people that sit around him. Not just because he is stuck with them in some version of hell, but because they are genuinely nice people.

Nea, however, is a hard egg to crack. She is rough around the edges and makes little effort to be friendly. He’s heard her story once and apparently that was enough sharing for her. She keeps her life before the entity to herself, Jake wonders if she is regretful of the life she had before this one. 

Much like how Jake regrets that he didn’t walk up to his father's office on the 23rd floor and tell him exactly how he feels, how bad of a father he was and how little he respects him. He wishes he could tell him that, scream it at the top of his lungs. If it wasn’t for his dad’s pushing and pressuring that led Jake to flee to the outdoors, he wonders if he would even be here.

There is a light whispering off into the distance and everyone braces themselves for what's to come. 

A low cloud casts over where the survivors are sitting, the fire flickers a bit. Jake takes the hand under his chin and waves it in his face. The smoke is piling up now, it’s forming itself into a wall right in front of them and before anyone can say anything a woman falls out of the fog, landing directly on her hands and knees.

She is short and tiny, dressed in all blue, her hair is thick and blonde. She starts coughing and on queue everyone stands up from their respected positions and crowds around her.

The entity has already told her what her life is going to be like here, Jake remembers when it spoke to him and yet still she asks “W-where am I?”

She looks up at everyone and they all have similar expressions on their faces, no one knows how to describe where they are or explain what it is they have to do here for the rest of their life.

“Welcome to hell” Nea says bluntly.

Jake darts her a look, she’s focused on the woman below her, watching intently as Claudette helps her up to her feet, arms crossed tightly across her chest and Jake wonders if Nea would ever be honest with him about how she feels about him, like how brunt she is being right now.

“It’s going to be okay, you’re here with us now” Claudette calmly says, just louder than a whisper.

“What was all of that?” The blonde woman questions as she brushes the dirt off of her bell bottom jeans.

“What's your name?” Nea asks, nodding her head in a means of pointing in the direction of the new comer. She makes a point of adjusting her toque on her head.

“Uhhh…. Laurie” She says “Laurie Strode.”

Claudette has a hand on Laurie’s shoulder as a way of comforting her from the fall.  
Claudette’s voice is calm and sweet “I’m Claudette” She says with a hand on her chest, she introduces the rest of the survivors to Laurie and they all make a gestural introduction for themselves.

“H-hi” Laurie gives an awkward wave, it’s nothing enthusiastic and Jake wonders how she’ll fit into this group of misfits. 

“You asked early, about what’s going on?” Meg questions “Did it not speak to you?”

It’s quiet and Laurie is looking down at her feet hands swaying at her sides. She is concentrating, Jake can tell. It takes her a moment to respond.

“I thought I was dreaming” She admits and Jake feels bad for her, the last bit of sanity you have in you is believing that everything you’re being told isn’t true.

“Oh no.. is it here?” Laurie’s head snaps up and she starts turning in fast circles, she is looking for something and the group of survivors all take a few steps back as if Laurie was a deranged animal.

“No, you only see it in trials” Dwight speaks, lifting his hands in front of Laurie as a way to calm her down.

“Not that… HIM!” her voice is getting louder and Jake wishes he could say something to help her calm down. 

“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” Claudette reassures Laurie, but it’s not doing much to help to her dismay. 

Laurie is still looking around, scoping the area, she is moving all sporadically, she lifts up her hands to her head and lets out a light groan. She is frustrated and Jake can tell.

“Who’s ‘he’?” Jake manages to get out in light of Laurie’s panic.

“Evil” She states, she is still making circles on herself and Claudette and Meg are both trying to keep her calm. Laurie crouches into a squat and holds her hands on both sides of her head. She is trying to focus and Jake wishes he could read minds right now.

“He’s here, he’s here, he’s here” She says like a mantra, her breathing getting heavier and heavier the longer she says it.

“No one is ‘here’” Nea says flatly “Whoever you’re worried about isn’t in our realm, they’re not allowed to be here” she adds.

Laurie’s breathing calms down and she looks up at Nea.

“No one can hurt you, as long as you’re here at the campfire” Meg says comfortingly and Jake can see the fear leaving Laurie’s eyes.

“Yeah, you’re safe here. Don’t worry” Claudette adds and she places a comforting hand over Laurie’s back and starts rubbing circles onto her.

“But.. It told me??” Laurie quietly confesses as she stands back up. Claudettes hand trails down Lauries back and embraces her into a half hug.

“Whoever came with you, this ‘evil’ isn’t here, not until a trial. You’re safe” Nea reassures her and Jake thinks that maybe she does have a little empathy under all of that thick skin.

The whispers are back again, it’s calling. A cloud of fog starts sweeping over the ground.

“What’s that noise?” Laurie nervously asks as she looks down at the ever growing fog that swirls at her feet.

“You hear it?” Dwight questions and Laurie nods.

“You’re being summoned to the next trial” Claudette explains to the blonde haired woman as she steps back away from her.

The whispers are getting louder in Jake’s ears and he knows that he’s being chosen for the next round, he was hoping to catch a break this time. But maybe he can take his time to get to know the nervous new survivor and meet whatever evil she has been worried about.

It isn't long before the whispers subside and; Meg, Jake, Dwight and Laurie are consumed by the fog.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is fog dissipating around Jake’s feet, he’s standing on wooden floor boards. Not quite like the rotting wood of the Thompson house, these are a little more put together. There is a boarded up window staring back at him, an open one directly across from the door to his left.

Jake takes a moment to take in the new setting. He takes a few steps, the floors are creaky and he notes to himself to be mindful of how heavy he walks. He makes his way out the door to explore his surroundings.

There are a set of stairs directly outside the room he was just in, but Jake is too busy taking in the fact that there is a house in the realm, nothing like the old barns and sheds in the others.

It’s not exactly homey but it’s triggering a memory at the back of Jake's mind, the attic in his grandparents' old home. It was always Jake’s go to spot whenever he and his brother played hide and seek. 

Jake is staring down another hall, adjacent to the banister to his left. He can see a generator tucked into the wall in front of him. Single person generators aren’t ever really fun to come by, you take most of the heat when working on it alone and don’t repair as fast as when you’re working as a team.

He hears a grunting noise and looks off to the left of the generator, he pears around the wall that's next to him. He watches as Laurie comes quietly crawling in through a window.

Jake wasn’t expecting there to be a roof outside that window, he almost always assumes when there is a drop, there will most likely be the ground underneath the fall. 

He smiles at Laurie.

“Are you ready for your first trial?’ he asks her with a slight chuckle as means of lightening the mood.

“Looks like the entity gave us a new realm” He adds, he’s just trying to make conversation now. Jake can’t really say he is much of a talker but he really wants to get to know this new survivor.

She gives him a pained look and brushes off her button down shirt. “I know where we are” She utters to herself. Jake is a little confused by her statement and decides to push on.

“You’ve been here before?” He questions her.

“It’s where I… I’ve just been here before.” She stutters, she’s rubbing her arm and looking down at her feet. Jake can tell she already doesn’t like being here, he can’t really blame her. They haven’t even really started the trial and she already looks hurt.

He thinks how cruel the entity must be for modeling a new realm after someone's memory. It’s sick and twisted and he wonders if it pleases them to watch Laurie look so heartbroken.

“Want me to show you how to fix one of these things?” Jake changes the topic as he points at the generator sitting in the corner, he doesn’t want to make her think too much about everything going on. He is already planning on doing everything to get her out of her first trial, if it’s the last thing he does.

“Sure, though I think I have an idea” 

“The… that...‘thing’ told me what to do,” she adds.

Jake smiles at her “The Entity” he corrects, he knows that whatever information the Entity has fed into her on her travels to this world isn't exactly helpful.

Jake remembers his first trial, it was brutal and he just couldn’t fix a generator. He preferred to break totems and search through chests, those were far easier than working with wires and control panels and sockets and god knows what else.

He motions over to the generator next to her, “It’s easy once you get the hang of it” He reassures her. “Just watch what I do” He walks over and kneels down in front of the machine.

Laurie steps behind him and watches intently.

“It looks like the recoil rope is broken. You see, every generator has an emergency one hiding in there somewhere” Jake lifts up the rope tucked into the corner of the generator.

“Now what you want to do is tie a double knot on each end of the rope” He adds, moving over to the side so Laurie can get a better view. 

“Make sure it’s through the recoil cage, around the pulley, you want to do this before you tie the knot” he continues on. “Do the same thing on the other side, but instead of pulling the rope through the recoil cage, we are putting it through the handle” The cord slides easily through the black slots and Jake goes on to tie a knot at the end.

“Now, we put the handle back together” He connects the two blocks and the knot disappears as they close.

“Then you just tighten the knot at the recoil rage, use your finger to extend the rope and then feed the rope through the notch at the pulley” He looks back at Laurie, he’s not sure if she is processing anything of what he is saying.

He knows it’s confusing and each generator is different, but once you understand the different parts of a generator, it almost becomes second nature.

“Once the rope is in the notch, you can start spinning it” Jake shows as he holds the rope in one hands and turns the knob with the other.

“Why don’t you try?” Jake offers as he stands up and moves out of the way.

Laurie looks at him, a little bit of fear in her eyes. He knows she is worried that she might mess up. But he is going to walk her through it as best as he can. This generator is one of the easier ones, winding knots through a knob isn’t exactly hard stuff.

It’s when you’re working with the wires and things that spark do you really have to pay attention to what you’re doing. Jake is grateful that the easy stuff is her first experience on one of them.

“So I just… Hold the rope? And turn the knob?” She questions, her voice is shaky and Jake wants to ensure she is doing a good job.

“Yeah, exactly like that” He watches as she turns the rope counter clockwise around the knob.

“It takes only about 4 or 5 turns” Jake adds as he watches her spin around the knob for a second time.

She finishes the fourth turn and looks back at Jake. 

“You’re doing great! Better than I did on my first go” Jake reassures her, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

“Now pull the handle at the end, away from the cage” He points, Laurie follows his actions and pulls the handle. There is an extension of rope from the cage to the handle.

“What now?” Laurie asks.

“Now just turn the dial, we should have enough tension in the cage to start it up”

Laurie follows his instructions, and the handle recoils back next to the cage. She lets out a victory cheer and stands up. 

Jake huffs out a laugh “You still have to start the thing.”

“Oh” Laurie pauses.

She spins around on her heels and leans down and yanks the handle next to the cage, something similar to starting a lawnmower and the generator springs to life.

“Hey!! You did it!!” Jake cheers, he lifts his hand up for a high five and Laurie looks at him. There is a slight pause and Jake gets the feeling that maybe she isn’t the type of person to celebrate in person to person contact. His hands stutters in the air, but before he can place it down at his sides she smacks his hand with hers.

She smiles at him, it’s soft and welcoming and even though Jake just met her, she is a fast learner and he is starting to kind of like this kid.

They creep out of the house and into the back yard, there are houses, fences and bushes all over this map and Jake is kind of enjoying the way it looks. As much as it’s in some type of purgatory it still, in a fucked up way, feels like a home. 

They sneak off down the edges of the realm.

“Why don’t the animals fly away when you’re near?” Laurie questions Jake, she is following a few feet behind. Nea taught Jake the fastest way to move around while hiding from the killer and he is putting those skills to the test. He is crouching in front of Laurie, his pace is much faster than hers.

“Ohhh uhhh… Animals kind of trust me?” He replies with a sheepish look.

He’s moving faster in front of her and she finds that she is having a hard time keeping up.

“How do you get them to trust you?” She asks him, walking past a crow, it screeches and flies off into the sky. Laurie shushes the flying bird as if it can hear her on it’s way up Jake lets out a huff of laughter.

“You talk to them” He admits, looking back at Laurie, he motions her to look in the direction in front of him. He stands up from behind a park table and walks up to the raven sitting perched up on the surface.

“Watch” He’s speaking in a soft tone, Laurie watches intently as the dark haired man clicks his tongue a few times and leans closer to the creature.

It looks in Jake’s direction, it’s motions are sporadic. Looking left and then right. It’s getting a better look at the saboteur in front of him. Jake cups his hands together and lays them down next to the dark coloured critter.

The bird stands up from its position and takes a few hops and lands right into the palms of Jake’s hands. He lifts his hands up and gently places them up near his chest. He smiles.

Laurie gives a confused look at him, “But.. you didn’t say anything?”

Jake lets out a chuckle and shakes his head, his hair dances over his face.

“You don’t have to say anything” He tells her, he’s placing the animal back onto the table. The bird gives Jake a look and Laurie finds it rather endearing.

Jake carefully walks his way over to her and Laurie watches as he stands an arms length away from her.

“You speak from here” he lifts his hand up and places it gently on the center of her chest.

Laurie looks down at his hand, her eyes widen, a light flush dusting over her cheeks.

“I’ll teach you when we get back to the campfire,” Jake promises as he recoils his hand at rapid speed as a scream can be heard from just around the corner.

Laurie jumps and looks over in the direction the scream comes from. They’ve been so caught up in their walk around the realm that they almost forgot that there is a killer lurking about.

The scream comes from around the hedges and Jake shushes Laurie and tells her to get down.

Jake feels calm, his heart isn’t racing in fear how the other killers make him feel. It’s quiet. He motions to Laurie to stay put as he creeps his way to the opening of the hedges in the back.

Then Jake sees someone round the corner, he’s tall and muscular, he’s wearing a dark navy blue outfit that Jake assumes are coverall. He has what looks like a kitchen knife in his right hand. His hair is dark and unkempt, he stops in his tracks and Jake is too caught up in how tall this guy is, he swallows hard, he doesn’t have a good feeling.

The taller man turns around and looks in the direction of Jake, Jake’s eyes widen and crouches down in hopes that he doesn’t see him. The killer stares off past Jake.

He doesn’t notice.

But Jake gets a good look at the man's face, not much of a face as it is more of a mask.  
It’s pale and white and Jake can’t help but look into those dark lifeless eyes.

His gaze is immediately cut short as the man turns around and walks away from the hook, down the long side of the house.

Meg is hanging from the hook a few feet in front of him, she is groaning in pain. She’s not dangling in defeat, she is lifting her arms up above her head and is desperately trying to pull herself off the metal piercing through her chest.

“Hey, hey, hey!!” Jake exclaims running around the corner of the hedge “I’m here, I’ve got you Megs” Jake says reassuringly and makes his way in front of her, she’s still trying to get off herself and Jake isn’t exactly happy about that.

Meg lets out a pained cry, “I can’t do this Jake” She confesses, attempting to pull herself off the hook once more. “NO!” Jake yells. He’s not fast enough, the entity is being summoned around the hook, Jake hates seeing it’s spider like legs that hover around the hook when you’re nearing the end of your time in a trial.

The limb comes slamming down in front of Meg and she catches it in her hands and starts struggling to keep it from piercing her chest.

Jake finally is able to pull her down from the meat hook and she stumbles as she lands on her feet. “Jake…” She manages to get out, Jake is holding onto her arms, trying to stabilize her.

Meg isn’t the type to give up like that and he would be lying to himself if he wasn’t a little disappointed over her actions. But this new guy, this new killer must be a piece of work is someone as strong as Meg is checking out of the match before it even really started.

“He’s...He’s not good, Jake” Meg cries out, she topples over into Jake’s arms, he catches her.

“What happened?” Laurie says nervously as she comes around the corner of the hedge.

“Come help me patch her up,” Jake orders. They both are cleaning up her wounds in her chest and back, Meg cries in pain.

“It’s him...isn’t it?” Laurie says as she looks up at Jake, “I saw him” Jake admits to her.

“Is that the Evil you were talking about?” Jake asks Laurie and she gives him a look, Jake can’t quite put his finger on what she is thinking right now. But she looks like she has something to say to him.

He’ll have to ask her about when they get back to the campfire.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the match isn’t much of a disaster as it is a circus.

God bless him, Dwight manages to get 3 generators done by himself, but gets sacrificed on his first hook. 

Meg doesn’t make it a few feet after being pulled off the hook earlier before she is down and out of the trial.

Laurie is a fast learner and Jake is really impressed. She picks up on everything so fast, what really gets Jake is how much of a good runner she is.

She seems to know the killers every move, her instincts are beyond comprehension and Jake wonders if she knows more about this Evil than she is letting on. 

Seeing her experience earlier with wondering if this man would be at the campfire with her, Jake is beginning to think she has something to prove to herself. Something Jake and the others might not be able to understand.

He doesn’t know much about the woman, but he can already tell she is a fighter.

Jake watches her dodge and weave, the masked man is missing all his shots, Laurie has proven to him that she is a great asset to the team and he hopes to have her next to him in future trials.

She knows a lot about this realm, where the best windows are to vault, what corner to round and without even telling her, Laurie is slamming pallets on the killer like an expert.

Jake is really impressed by it, he’s playing a little more of a stealthy game this time. He learnt a lot about this type of style from Claudette, she is always really good at avoiding the killer and hiding within the shadows. 

She’s taught him a lot about inner healing and strength, how to bandage yourself without the help of others, It’s helped him a lot in times of need. 

He hears a scream and Laurie is being thrown over the shoulders of the killer, Jake bee-lines towards the killer. He is met with that lifeless mask staring back at him, Jake can see a hook off into the distance, he is trying to get there before the killer does.

“PUT ME DOWN” Laurie is screaming, she is wiggling as fast as she can. Jake’s heart is racing like crazy, he’s trying to make it to the hook before the taller man does.

He’s going to drop the hook, Laurie will jump free and Jake gets to laugh in the killer's face. 

That's his plan.

“MICHAEL” She belts out.

That name burns into Jake’s brain like a cigarette in an ashtray.

Michael.

How did she know his name?

He doesn’t know of any of the other killers' names, most of the time his teammates will come up with code names for the evil creatures that are in the realms.

No killer has a name?

Jake doesn’t let that thought take him too far away from reality, because he is a few feet ahead of the killer and he’s almost at the hook.

Jake slides to his knees in front of the metal pole and starts twisting the bolts connecting from the bottom to the top. He’s a master at this, his proficiency in sabotaging is second to none.

The killer is approaching, he’s a few feet away and Jake’s heart is hammering in his chest.

The hook drops right in front of his face.

Laurie springs free from his grasps only a few moments later, the killer makes a pained noise as she falls to the ground.

“RUN!” Jake yells.

“THE GATES JUST DOWN THERE” He points down the ways and Laurie bolts past him in the right direction. Leaving Jake behind.

He jumps to his feet.

If Jake wasn’t now running for his life he would be laughing and pointing at the killer like a school yard bully. It’s rare he can time his sabotaging so perfectly like that, it takes a lot of know-how and attention to see a hook before a killer does.

Jake was never the type to cause trouble, but there’s something about taking one of the things these evil creatures use to hurt you with and making it go away for a few seconds brings Jake so much joy.

Jake’s heart is still pumping a mile a minute and he watches as Laurie slams down the exit gate off in the distance, he takes a moment to look behind him and he stops dead in his tracks.

The killer isn’t moving.

He’s just staring.

Watching him.

And Jake doesn’t exactly know how to feel about what he’s looking at right now.  
The knife is at the killer’s side, a few drops of blood are hitting the grass beneath him.

It’s only been a few moments but it feels like a lifetime, He's burning holes into Jake’s face as he impassively stares at the survivor.

“JAKE, COME ON” He can hear Laurie screaming from inside of the exit gates.

He doesn’t think she can see what’s happening right now and Jake honestly is pretty grateful that she can’t. It's such an uncomfortable feeling. He’s never had a killer do this to him.  
He doesn’t want to waste anymore time, the ground is lighting up and Jake wants nothing more than to leave.

He makes his way over to the exit gates where Laurie is waiting.

They walk into the fog together.

Jake can still feel those lifeless eyes watching him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a little bit shorter than the first chapter but it's all about establishing relationships and lore!
> 
> Hope you enjoy

It’s been a few days since Laurie and the new Killer showed up in the Entities world and Jake hasn’t had the opportunity to fight for his life against him since they both arrived.

He’s not exactly complaining, he just likes to get a better feel for what he’s going up against and so he wouldn’t exactly mind being in a match with this new guy.

He’s stepped in far too many traps than he would like to admit since their arrival, he wonders if the entity likes to single out killers and that's why he’s gone up against the Trapper so many times this week.

He only wishes that he could sabotage those traps and make his life easier, but the entity doesn’t play that way and Jake has no other choice but to follow its rules.

He’s sitting at the campfire, a trial is currently underway and Jake is beyond grateful that he gets to sit this one out. He feels like he hasn’t been able to catch a break since the newcomers made themselves known.

The way it works is the entity calls upon 4 survivors and 1 killer only once a day. It’s kind of hard to differentiate when a day starts and when a day ends, considering the moon never sets and the sun never rises.

But it becomes almost a six sense to the survivor when a new day begins. 

The time between trials is nice and It maybe crazy but Jake likes to think that the entity wants to at least give him a break after the 5 consecutive days he’s been in a trial. Feels like he’s just reached his weekend after a long week at work.

It’s Nea, Laurie and himself scattered around the campfire, the others have only been gone for a few minutes and it’s been it hasn’t exactly been quiet.

Jake enjoys the silence but Laurie on the other hand, does not. And he can tell. She’s been here for a few days and yet she tends to ask the same questions but worded differently. 

She’s asking Nea about the Nurse’s ability to see teammates when they patch each other up and if Jake remembers correctly she asked him that, a trial or two ago.

Nea is doing her best to explain it, but she isn’t much of a teacher and Jake is thinking about interrupting and offering up his insite. He already knows how that might blow over, so he decides the latter.

He wonders if Laurie is trying to fit herself into the group, much like a puzzle piece. Jake hasn’t exactly made much effort outside of trials to get to know her better. Yeah he has questions but by the time he’s back in the survivor’s realm he needs time for himself.

Jake likes to spend most of his time in the forest outside of the campfire, as far away as the entity lets him.

The talking is becoming too much for him and he decides it’s time to go spend it with the crows.  
He’s been sitting on the ground, leaning against just one of the crooked old logs placed in the shape of a U around the fire.

He slowly makes his way up to his feet, catching himself, his leg feels a little tingly from the way he was sitting.

He starts making his way past the two women.

“Where are you going?” A voice questions from behind him.

Jake pauses for a moment, looking over his shoulder.

Nea is still leaning on her knees, looking at the fire, facing away from Jake. Laurie has her back twisted around, a questioning look on her face.

“Uhhh… in the forest” Jake responds, using his thumb to point at the scenery behind him.

“I’ll catch you guys later” He adds, turning his back and making his way onto the grass.

“Can I come?” 

Jake stops in his tracks. Laurie clearly is new here, every other teammate knows when Jake leaves the fire you don’t follow or question why he is leaving.

“Yeah, why don’t you show her some of your friends down there” Nea scoffs, Jake can feel the sarcasm dripping from her comment and he wonders if she is trying to pawn Laurie off onto him.  
Maybe she’s had enough socializing as well. 

“Can I?” Laurie asks in an enthusiastic voice. Jake guesses that this is his time to actually talk with the woman and get to know her better, he’s kind of been putting it off due to old habits and comfortability.

“Yeah, c’mon” He says, his head making a gesturing point to the woods next to him.

Laurie follows behind him.

They are walking in silence down a small, barely noticeable dirt path. Jake is in his comfort zone now and he wants to stay that way. He wonders how long they can go without talking.

It doesn’t take much time at all.

“So, I notice you spend a lot of time out here” 

Jake looks over at her.

“I can see why” She adds, she lifts her hand and points it directly into the sky. Jake’s eyes follow.

“You can see the moon better out here” She looks over at him and smiles, he returns the look as she places her hand down at her side.

“Yeah, that's definitely a part of it” Jake huffs out a laugh.

“What are the other parts?” She questions, she’s placed both her hands behind her back and walks closer to Jake.

He is adjusting his scarf, it’s not exactly cold out but he is trying to buy himself some time to come up with an answer that is better than what he has.

They are almost at his hide away, where he spends most of his hours, he debates on whether or not to take her to a different spot just so he can still keep his a secret.

“Just down here” He dodges the question and points off into the distance, leading her down a section between a few clustered red wood trees.

“Wow” Lauries says in awe.

There it is, his comfort zone, a large weeping willow tree stands tall and strong in the center of the sectioned off part of the woods. There is a sizable log that sits firmly under the willow tree.The tree is covered in crows, they all make a point of making eye contact as the two survivors make their way closer. 

“I can see why you spend all of your time here” She’s spinning, looking around and admiring the sites in front of her, taking it all in. 

Jake feels kind of happy about it, none of the other survivors ever made a point of coming back here to see what it was all about. Meg has walked through the forest a few times with Jake in the past, but she can only go as far as the campfire light allows.

Meg is afraid of the dark and she admitted it to her fellows survivors the day they all got picked.

Something about accidentally locking herself in her mom's wine cellar when she was a kid and having to wait all day before she found her. Every person has some kind of traumatizing experience growing up, but it’s just a part of what makes you who you are.

Jake wonders if Laurie has had any experiences in her life that's made her the woman she is today, he debates on whether or not he should jump right in and ask her.

But he doesn’t follow through.

“Yeah, I’ve kind of always been one to spend my time outdoors and away from others” He admits to her, shrugging as he walks through the center of the open field, making his way to the log under the tree.

Laurie is still soaking in everything around her, looking in all directions but she follows Jake towards the large tree.

The leaves are hung low to the ground, not long enough to cover what's underneath too much and Jake pushes a section of them to the side so he and Laurie can make their way to the piece of wood that sits still under the tree.

“It’s really pretty out here” She confesses, taking a seat onto the misshaped log. She is looking up into the trees, staring at all the crows that watch them.

“Do they always stare like that?” Laurie questions, a shiver running down her spine.

Jake laughs “They’re just not used to other people being out here, they’ll get used to you.”

Lauries takes a moment to look at Jake and cracks a smile. The comment leaves her a little content.

“You said you like spending your time outdoors? Was it always like that?” She questions and Jake already knows where this is going. They are doing it, it’s time to talk about your life outside of purgatory.

Most of the others have already shared their life's story and Jake guesses that now it’s his turn.

“Before all of this…” Laurie adds.

Jake is looking down at his feet. He’s standing almost in front of Laurie who sits perched up on the log.

His shoe is untied.

He lifts his leg up and places it next to her, leans down and starts retying the knot.

“My life wasn’t that interesting before all of this” Jake confesses to her, yeah he might have grown up in a wealthy family and gave up all the fame and riches to live in the forest. 

What’s interesting about that? He thinks to himself.

“I’m a naturalist… I guess” He says to her, he’s placing his foot back down on the ground and takes a seat next to her.

“You’ve always lived outdoors?” She questions him, her hands cupped together sitting between her legs. She is staring at him, blonde hair falling comfortably over her shoulders.

“No exactly” Jake huffs out a laugh in response. He’s rubbing the back of his neck for a moment before leaning himself onto his knees.

“I used to live with my family, we had a pretty big house… My dad was the CEO of a self made company…” Jake is stuttering in his words, he’s not exactly sure how he can tell her he gave up his family for nature.

“You don’t have to share” Laurie comforts him, she places a hand on his shoulder and gently smiles in his direction.

“It’s just that…” He pauses.

“I feel like my destiny was set from the start” He shifts his position a little, Laurie’s hand trails down his arm and rests nicely in between them.

“Heir to great wealth, noble manners and endless caretakers, forced into my family's reputation and legacy… I didn’t get a say in any of it” Jake’s voice is hard and heavy with every word that comes out of his mouth.

“I couldn’t do it anymore….”

“I did what I could, I did everything people expected of me and yet it still wasn’t enough” Jake’s voice is getting louder.

“My brother was the prize child growing up… and I was never able to withhold the same standards” 

“I was the disappointment and no matter how hard I tried…” He pauses.  
Laurie is looking at him, she is scanning his face, trying to pick out the emotions on his face.

He’s mad, angry.

The forest feels heavy. 

He shutters and takes a quick look around, he’s feeling an unnerving presence. He figures it's just one of the crows. They do like to watch.

“I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

“I had to get out of there, leave, skip town, go find a new purpose in life” Jake admits

“I needed to go somewhere far away, where there was no Wi-Fi, no fortune-500 companies, no father, mother or brother…”

It’s silent as Jake lets out a deep sigh.

“So you chose nature.” she says, it’s not quite a question, she says it as if she understands. She gets why he did it.

It feels kind of good letting this all out, he hasn't really talked about his life in a very long time. Not since he first arrived here and Laurie is pretty easy to talk to.

“Yeah.. I guess” Jake responds just louder than a whisper.

“I get why you did it” She reassures him, she’s scooching herself a little closer to Jake. He feels it’s her way of comforting him.

He’s entertaining his hands, thumbs wiggling back and forth as if playing war with himself.

“She just… She listens to you” He’s being honest with her.

“There’s no pressure from other people weighing on you… It’s just you” Laurie adds, she is really good at validating Jake’s choices in life and he would be lying if he said it didn’t make him feel a little better about how he’s handled everything.

“Just me and the outdoors, no matter what was lurking about. No matter what was hunting you, you always need to stay one step ahead. Struggle, blend, addapt” He realizes with every word that leaves his mouth, he feels like he was almost meant to be where he is now.

He’s a solitary survivalist.

His life was set for him, established right from the beginning.

Jake was built for this world.

Jake lets out a huff.

“What about you?” He nudges her with his shoulder, it’s playful and Laurie giggles. She tucks her hair behind her ear.

“Oh, me?” Jake can hear the smile in her voice, so he takes a glance over in her direction.

“I’m just a normal girl. My life wasn’t anything interesting either” She lets a laugh creep past her lips.

“Until….” She pauses and Jake gets the feeling that she is weary of being honest right now.

He’s waiting, listening attentively for her next words.

“It all happened over night” Her tone of voice changes, she’s whispering, and Jake finds himself leaning in towards her to listen better.

“I was just your typical all American girl, I went to school, I hung out with friends, I babysat for most of the parents around the block” 

She’s taking her time with her answers, Jake can almost hear the gears turning in her head. She’s finding the right words to speak.

“It was on Halloween night, I was babysitting this really good kid, Tommy Doyle was his name. Short for his age, I mean really really short” She lets out a laugh and Jake can’t help but join in.

“But he was there…. He killed my friends.. He tried to kill me” She manages to get out.

It’s quiet for a moment and Jake already knows the answer to whom she speaks of and he gets the feeling she doesn’t want to say it.

He takes the silence to look over at her, she is looking off into the distance. Her expression is hard to read, her mouth is in a flat line and her eyes are wide open.

“The boogeyman” she says and Jake can feel a chill run down his spine.

He takes another glance over his shoulder.

Still nothing.

A crow lets out a screech from above them.

“Laurie, I’m so sorry…” Jake manages to say, he’s trying to comfort her. But he’s never been good at those types of things. But he is willing to try.

He can’t imagine what it must have been like to have the people you loved killed.

Jake has already grown attached to the other survivors and there is always a piece in him that worries that maybe one day the Entity will decide it no longer wants one of them and they never come back to the campfire.

Though the whole thing is making Jakes head spin. Killers being pulled from earth?

He’s not exactly sure he’s processing any of this.

“I thought I could get away from him” Laurie says, her voice is tiny and Jake wants to wrap her up in a hug. But he’s hesitant on those actions.

“But here’s here… and I guess I just have to find a way to make peace with that” She says and Jake can’t help but feel bad for her. 

It’s traumatizing enough to experience something so brutal, but to have to live with the evil in a game of cat and mouse for the rest of your life is sending Jake’s thoughts into a whirlwind. 

His time with Laurie isn’t exactly what he expected it to be, they’re hitting it off and he wonders if this will be a night of healing for the both of them. A time to let go of the things that concern oneself and move on towards something new.

“Hey Laurie” Jake utters, he’s thinking about their first trial together and he figures if they’re taking the time to bond tonight he might as well ask her some of the questions he’s been keeping to himself these past couple of days.

He’s still hung up on this killer coming from earth. 

That’s not possible! 

Killers don’t have lives before this one.

“Hmmm?” She hums in response.

“That day, when you first arrived. Your first match” Laurie looks over at him, a questioning look on her face. Jake is finding it hard to make eye contact right now so he decides that the rock sitting in between his feet is more interesting.

“The Boogeyman...You… You called him something” Jake is stuttering his words out.

He takes a few deep breaths.

“Michael….You called him, Michael”

Silence washes over them and Jake takes in a nervous gulp. His throat feels a little drier than usual.

Laurie isn’t saying anything and as much as Jake usually likes the silence, it’s piercing right now and he wan’t nothing more than to fill it.

He glances her a look and starts to say,“Look, I’m sorry if I said someth-”

“You didn't,” Laurie interrupts. She’s looking right at him now. They stare at each other for a few seconds before Laurie decides to speak.

“That’s his name”

She stands up from the broken log and walks a few steps ahead, Jake watches her. It looks like she is rationalizing something in her head and Jake wishes he could tell her to stop thinking so much.

“Myers… Michael Myers” She says, there is something in her voice that Jake can’t quite make out. There is something she is not telling him, but he feels like he shouldn’t push her.

“Killers have names?” Jake whispers, he’s not really answering to what Laurie said, he’s almost questioning himself and what he believes in.

His head is spinning, he never thought one of the Killers had a life before the trials. He always thought they were created from nothing. Evil like that can't exist outside of this realm… can it?

Laurie is standing in front of Jake, facing away from him, arms crossed tightly across her chest.

They are both too engrossed in their own minds to speak to each other.

Jake feels a little nervous, he’s been hearing sounds all evening but this time he gets the feeling that something is watching them.

He whips his head around and looks behind him.

The weeping willow tree is covering a decent amount of the scenery behind where he sits, but Jake can still see the trees that cluster behind him.

It's empty.

“You don’t think any of the others had a life before this one?” Laurie asks, she’s still standing away from Jake, but her arms fall at her sides.

“I never really thought about it until now….” Jake admits, he’s thinking about the other Killers now and what life they might have led before this realm if any at all.

Were they all monsters like Michael Myers?

Jake can’t compute any of this right now.

“Do you really think they were actually people before the Entity took them? I mean real life, had a job, a family and friends type of people?” Jake is speaking into the dead air, he doesn’t exactly expect Laurie to have any of the answers. 

She hasn’t exactly been here long, but he still finds himself unable to stop thinking out loud.

“Well… Michael had one…” Laurie responds, her voice is quiet and Jake gets the feeling that she is trying to fit these pieces together.

It feels like he’s trying to fit a square into a circle.

He’s never really thought about the possibilities of any of this.

“Do you mind if we head back?” Laurie asks him, she’s turned around and is now looking in his direction. 

“I want to see if the others have returned”

Jake gets the feeling that this talk has become a little too heavy for her and he really doesn’t blame her for wanting to end this conversation.

Maybe they can pick it back up when she’s ready.

“Yeah, sure” He stands up from the log and slowly makes his way over to her.

There’s that noise again.

He does a quick look around, as casual as he can in order to not freak Laurie out.

He doesn’t see anything.

He gives a half hearted smile at Laurie and says “Let’s get out of here”

They slowly make their way out of the open center in the forest and find their way back to the faint path in between the trees.

They walk back to the campfire, Laurie is talking about a golden toolbox she saw in the realm of the MacMillan Estate. Jake has heard Dwight tell the same story, but he always thought he was crazy.

They laugh and converse over the simpler things in this life they have to live.

But Jake still can’t shake the feeling that something was watching them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually very much enjoy these two. I'm excited for you guys to see how their relationship progresses in the story. :D
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, I'll catch yall next week


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys,  
> I know I said I would be posting every Wednesday. I'm throwing myself a little off schedule this week.  
> I've re-written this chapter so many times I need post it for my own peace of mind LOL  
> Hope you guys enjoy this early chapter~

It’s a new day.

A new trial.

The killer is Michael this time.

Jake hasn’t gone up against Michael since Laurie showed up and he was actually kind of excited to have him as his killer today.

As weird as it sounds, it’s kind of nice to have new evil into the mix. He’s been kind of getting sick of the Trapper if he’s being honest.

It’s Coldwin Farms, the Fractured Cowshed.

Jake actually kind of likes this realm, there are a lot of safe path pallets, hay bales that go on for days, a tractor or two and of course, the big red barn in one of the corners.

The barn is Jake’s favourite spot to run around, it usually has 1 generator sitting behind a few bales, it’s only one story high, it has about 3 entrances and 1 window.

And Jake likes that window.

He’s currently crouching in front of the generator that sits firmly in the center of the shed, he’s sitting near the window. Dwight is working to his left, while Claudette works across from him.

Thank god for Laurie, she’s been running Michael around for the past 2 generators and the rest of the team is hoping to make it a 3rd.

They’re all working on cleaning the carburetor.

Jake has already removed the spark plug caps so the engine doesn’t catch fire, drained the fuel and discarded the screw that attaches to the carburetor.

Dwight was efficient in using one of the clean rags he brought with his mechanic's toolbox to dry out the sticky residue out of the carburetor bowl. 

The main jet’s passage is where fuel flows through the carburetor into the combustion chambers. So Claudette inspects the jet passage for them, she removes the jet with precision. 

They just need a nice, clean, shiny round hole for gasoline to pass through.

They take turns removing all the parts that could come loose or clog up the jet again, Dwight  
makes sure he catches any overspray with a rag.

“Now It’s just a matter of checking the gasket body to make sure it is in position” Dwight says 'matter of factly’ as he goes to tighten the screws.

“WAIT” Jake belts out.

It’s too late. 

The generator makes a low sounding blow and all three survivors get thrown back.

“DWIGHT!” Claudette’s voice is loud and she doesn’t usually yell, but they were really close to finishing this generator and Dwight might have been getting ahead of himself and missed a step or two.

Jake sits up from his position.

Laurie’s scream can be heard in the distance. It sounds like she’s been knocked down.

“The idle jet needed service first, at the top of the carburetor” Claudette sits up onto her knees and points directly at the idle jet in the generator in front of Dwight.

Dwight has that confused look on his face. He looks like a puppy that’s been caught eating off the dining room table and if Jake wasn’t as frustrated as Claudette is right now, he would almost think it was kind of cute.

Jake can’t really blame him for getting ahead of himself, Some idle jets will sometimes unscrew at the top and it’s hard to miss.

“It’s fine Claud, all we have to do is re-clean the bowl and then finish up the rest,” Jake reassures an irritated Claudette who is running a hand through her tight locks.

She lets out a deep long sigh.

“When we place the main jet back into the stem….. Don’t over tighten the screws” Her eyes pierce daggers into the side of Dwights head.

He nervously nods, but doesn’t make eye contact. Jake feels bad for him.

Claudette is a gentle soul but a strong willed woman within, she’s changed so much since being here. 

When Jake first got to know her she was shy and quiet and hardly said a word to him, she was never the outgoing type. But now she is upfront and honest and will let you know when you’ve done something she doesn’t agree with.

Jake goes to finish up cleaning the idle jet then reassembles it by placing the main jet back into the carburetor stem with his hands.

Dwight makes sure the main jet is put back into the stem and remembers to not over tighten it.

They all can hear one last scream of Laurie off in the distance.

They had a bit of a rough go at the beginning of the match and Laurie might have gotten hooked twice before getting her second wind.

But there’s no saving her this time.

Her scream pierces through the realm and Jake can hear the sounds of the entity claiming her body.

He shutters at the sound and goes back to focusing on the generator.

There’s not much left to do. Just checking the gasket to ensure it’s in the proper position. Tightening the screw and washers that hold the carburetor bowl in the body.

Then it’s just a matter of starting the engine.

They’re all working at a nice pace, Claudette is already checking the gasket to make sure it’s in its respectable spot and Dwight is handing Jake the screws.

Jake’s heart beat starts beating a little faster.

He’s near.

Dwight stands to his feet and starts slowly crouching away.

“Where are you going Dwight? We’re almost done!” Claudette says she's moving her position to the side of the generator Dwight was at to help finish up with Jake, passing him the last of the screws.

“I’m going to one of those lockers around the corner”

At least he’s honest.

That's one thing Jake likes about Dwight, no matter how serious a situation may be, no matter how nervous he is, he always tells you exactly what he’s doing.

His heart beat is getting louder.

“C’mon Jake, did you screw the washers near the bowl yet?” She’s standing now, she’s peeking around the corner of the pile of hay bales that are sitting in front of the generator.

“I’m going as fast as I can” Jake's hands are shaking a little, the screws wiggle in his hands as he tries his best to connect them with their sockets.

“JAKE, HE’S COMING” 

“I KNOW!!”

He drops the last screw. He’s scrambling to find it. It really does feel like a matter of life or death.

His hands are sliding all over the ground near him, looking for the tiny piece of metal.

“JAKE, RUN!!” Claudette screams, she’s running down the back end of the shed.

Jake finds the screw.

His heart is hammering in his chest.

He’s determined to fix this piece of junk, his hand reaches into the generator and starts screwing in the last piece.

He’s not paying attention to anything that's going on around him, the killer can hit him all he wants. 

Jake is finishing this generator.

He finishes twisting the screw on.

He’s adjusting his position to sit in a spot that's easier to make a break for the window behind him.

Jake lets out a scream as a knife cuts diagonally across his back.

He’s finishing this.

His hand is digging inside the top of the generator now, looking for the rip cord to start the engine.

He finds it.

But he’s getting pulled off the generator as he yanks hard on the cord.

The generator springs to life right before Jake falls backwards and is being thrown over the shoulder of a tall, pale faced man.

He’s groaning a lot. 

That knife to the back isn’t exactly helping after getting the wind knocked out of you.

Jake has been a gen-jockey all game, thank goodness for Laurie for being able to loop killers around tiles forever or he doesn’t think they would have made it this far.

There are still 2 generators left and Jake is feeling a slight sliver of doubt that they might not be getting out of this one alive.

He’s noticed that Dwight has been extremely nervous this round and he gets the feeling that it has something to do with the fact that they’re going up against Michael.

He’s not exactly sure if Dwight is going to be coming out of that locker anytime soon to finish any of the last generators.

Jake realizes that he hasn’t exactly been moving in the killer's arms. He’s been too caught up in his own thoughts and moving with this gash he has on his back doesn’t exactly sound appealing to him right now.

He hasn’t been hooked yet and he’s coming to terms with the fact that he’ll take the metal through the chest for the rest of the match if it means the other can get out safely.

He’s dangling over the killers shoulders, his back is starting to burn, his hands feel heavy.

Jake groans as he sways a little in Michael’s grasp.

They’ve been walking for a while and Jake is wondering where on earth he is taking him.

Probably to the basement.

If Jake can stall him for this long, and Claudette and Dwight can get those last 2 generators done, then he can chalk this one up as a win.

Jake hears Claudette scream and he lifts his head up to see her running a half circle around Michael.

“JAKE, WHY AREN’T YOU MOVING?” She yells out.

“I WAS TRYING TO BUY SOME TIME FOR YOU” He yells back, I guess he has no other option but to try and attempt to break free of his grasp.

Jake is moving his body left and right. 

The pain is his back is becoming more apparent than ever. He groans but tries to power through it.

Jake feels himself being lifted up off Michael’s shoulders and then violently being thrown to the ground in the middle of the corn field.

Michael walks away from Jake.

He lets out a pained whine.

Everything hurts right now, his back is burning from the cut he got across it early. He’s trying to catch his breath from being thrown to the ground so fast.

Jake tries to move, “Ahh... Fuck” he huffs out. He’s trying to sit up but his back is in too much pain.

He hears a noise coming up behind him. He manages the strength to look behind him.

It’s Dwight.

“Jake, I’m so sorry” 

He quickly comes over and hovers over Jake, who is laying flat on his stomach. He starts trying to bandage him up as fast as he can. His cuts are bad.

The entity works in mysterious ways and grants survivors the ability to heal themselves or others with their own hands. It takes longer than using a medicine kit, but it’s sufficient in helping each other survive.

There is a light black mist that’s apparent near Dwight's hands as he gently drags them over the long cut over Jake’s back.

“It’s okay, he put me down” Jake manages to get out in between coughs.

“Haven’t seen a killer put anyone down in a long time” Dwight huff out a laugh.

That is a little strange, Jake thinks to himself.

“I think he just really wanted Claudette, she took a hit for... OUCH” Jake cries out in pain, Dwight’s nails accidentally dug into a good part of the open wound on his back.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m just a little on edge right now” He admits and Jake isn’t even surprised.

“AHHH fuck… I can tell” He laughs as Dwight continues to heal him up. 

It’s starting to feel much better now.

Jake’s heart is starting to beat a little faster now and that can only mean one thing.

“How much longer Dwight?” Jake looks behind him. Dwight has a concentrated look on his face right now. 

Jake doesn’t think he is listening.

His heart beat is getting a little louder now. Jake darts his eyes in front of him and he can see Claudette running in his direction through ears of corn.

Jake’s eyes grow wide at the sight.

She’s still being chased.

She is running with a bit of a hunch right now, Jake can tell her left arm is injured.

She comes to a halt in front of Jake and Dwight and quickly leans down to help heal Jake up before Michael reaches them.

“C’MON LET'S GO” She screams, 

“Get up, get up, get up” Dwight speaks in a mantra as he helps Jake to his feet.

Jake’s back feels so much better, the pain hasn’t fully subsided so he’s limping a little from the residual ache.

Jake hasn’t exactly figured out this new killer's abilities yet.

He does notice that he likes to stare.

He’s slowly walking towards them, his hands firmly at his sides. It almost feels like he is stalking them.

“GO, GO, GO!!” Jake yells as he pulls the collar of Dwight's clean cut white button down.

Dwight lets out a huff as he goes flying in Jake’s direction. 

Claudette has already lost them in the corn somewhere, she is probably going to find somewhere safe to hide.

Jake and Dwight run back to the red barn, Jake is limping his way to the opening.

Dwight makes a hard right and Jake stops in his tracks.

“Where are you going?” Jake questions in a pleading voice.

“T-the lockers are over here”

Jake is getting a little irritated with Dwight right now, it doesn’t make sense for him to jump into a locker while Jake is still injured from earlier.

But he guesses that he has no other choice then to run Michael around for a while.

Jake watches as Dwight disappears around the corner into the section of the barn that has a few lockers lined up.

Jake turns around to see Michael standing there.

Watching him.

“Well, C’mon then!!” Jake taunts, he starts walking backwards deeper into the barn

Michael is taking a few steps forward, Jake is watching intently.

He starts picking up his pace and Jake starts hobbling his way over to the window. Michael is right behind him.

Jake jumps over the window as fast as he can.

He hears a smack of wood behind him.

Jake looks in his direction and sees him bringing his knife up in a swift motion.

Jake smirks, he’s feeling a little overzealous right now and if he had a flashlight on him right now he would be clicking it in Michael's face. 

Michael puts his knife down at his side and watches Jake as he makes a break for it.

You gotta do better than that, Jake thinks to himself.

Michael starts swinging his leg up and over the window and Jake’s heart is booming.

He can do this.

He can run this big guy around for a little while. He just hopes that Dwight has finally made his way out of the locker and on to a generator.

He’s taking the long way around the shed to hopefully buy himself some time. Jake looks over his shoulder and he sees Michael following not too far behind.

He makes his way back into the barn and throws himself over the open window again with a loud bang.

Another smack of wood follows.

He keeps on running around the red structure, he knows he only has one more vault before the Entity blocks off his fun.

He’s going to make this one count.

Michael is still trailing behind him as they round the corner, Jake runs up to the window, but his foot catches on the wood below and he falls through the window to the other side and lands on his face with a loud thud.

Fuck.

Jake rolls onto his back and quickly tries to scramble back up to his feet. He makes a point of looking up at the window and to his surprise, Michael isn’t stepping over the window.

He’s just standing there, looking down at Jake as he struggles to his feet.

Jake doesn’t want to question it too much, but he would be lying to himself if he didn’t think it was weird.

Why didn’t he step over the window? He could have easily caught me? Jake thinks to himself.

Jake can’t help but wonder if he does the same thing with any of his friends. Did he do that to Laurie when she was looping him around the map earlier.

Michael is still standing there.

Things are getting weird.

A generator springs to life off in the distance and Jake decides to run towards the sound.

Leaving Michael standing there looking out the window.

Jake makes his way into the fields. He always gets turned around when he’s in the corn.

He’s trying to find one of the last generators, maybe he can help get it done and get the hell out of this unusual match. 

He finds a generator unoccupied and silent, he crouches down and inspects it to see what's wrong with it.

He lets out a small gasp, his body still aches from the down early and he really needs someone to finish patching him up.

Looks like he needs to drain the engine oil out of the spark plug holes and fill it with fresh new ones.

That shouldn't take long at all, but Jake isn’t exactly in the mood to play with oil right now.

He decides to move on and find a new one.

He’s hunched over a bit, luckily he’s strong enough to keep his grunts of pain hidden.

He sees a set of flashing lights up on a pole in the distance. The sound of the generator can be heard from afar and Jake is making his way there as fast as he can.

He sees a small tuft of black hair peeking above the generator resting right next to a trailer of hay. 

The generator explodes as Jake rounds the counter.

Jake’s eyes widen as he sees Dwight fall back into his butt.

“GOSH DARN IT JAKE” Dwight yells.

“What?” Jake questions the man sitting below him.

“I hate when you don’t make sounds like that”

“Make sounds?”

“Yeah man... you’re always so quiet” He’s brushing his legs off and is making his way back up to his knees.

“You’re like a leopard or something” Dwight says, his voice is a little shakier than usual and Jake assumes that it’s because of the fright he gave him.

“A leopard?” Jake lets out a small laugh. He’s still standing next to the generator, he leans on it for support. 

His body really aches.

“Yeah” Dwight says, he’s messing with the spark plugs on this generator from what Jake can see.

It’s probably spark plug deposit buildup. Deposits can form on the plugs which causes them to not interact with the air-fuel mixture. Which then leads to jerky and unreliable supply of energy to the engine.

It’s an easy one man job.

“You’re like always hunting for something… Waiting for people when they’re vulnerable… and then you jump out of nowhere and just...Scare the heck out of people” Dwight confesses and moves in a way that indicates a shiver running down his spine and Jake can’t help but laugh. 

“People like you?” Jake smirks.

Dwight looks up at him and gives him an exasperated look.

“Do you think you might want to help me? We can get this thing done fast with an extra pair of hands” Dwight questions Jake and he really really doesn’t want to help right now.

“Sure thing” he says flatly.

He goes to lean down in front of him and lets out a sigh. Michael really hit him hard earlier and if Jake didn’t have the feelings of unexpected energy when the last generator finishes. He would be asking Dwight to finish healing him.

“What’s there left to do?” He asks Dwight as he finds a comfortable position on the ground next to him.

Claudette screams off in the distance. It sounds like she’s been hooked.

“Do you want to finish this and I go get her?” Jake asks, it wasn’t much of a question as it was a statement.

“I really think we should finish this gen first” Dwight gives a concerning look to Jake but Jake has already made his way back to his feet.

“Don’t worry, Dwight” Jake reassures him, he’s placing a hand on his shoulder and shakes it.

“I’ll try not to,” Dwight doesn’t bother looking up at Jake, he’s too busy trying to finish cleaning the spark plugs.

“We’re almost at the finish line,” Jake says before running off into the corn.

The entity likes to give you signs and whispers into your ear each match and Jake can sense the hook that Claudette is on is near him.

He makes his way through a few more ears of corn before landing his eyes on his teammate, dangling from the meat hook.

He moves around onto the front of the hook to get a better look.

Claudette is groaning as she sways back and forth.

“Dwight's almost done the last generator” He lets out a grunting noise as he lifts Claudette up and over the piece of metal.

Claudette cries out as she slams to her feet, holding onto Jake’s arms for purchase.

“Can we just get out of here already” She says with a half hearted laugh and Jake can’t help but laugh along with her.

It’s truly a messed up life they live..

“Go, Go, find an exit gate! I’ll take a hit” Jake exclaims 

“But you’re hurt still? She questions him, still holding on tight to his arms.

“Meg taught me a thing or two” 

Claudette nods as she lets go of his arm and starts to shuffle her way off into the distance.

His heart beat starts growing quicker and faster as Michael grows nearer and Jake could really use his body's adrenaline right about now.

He starts making his way over to a trailer and a few hay bales. He can see a pallet in the center of it all and it looks pretty safe.

Michael emerges from the corn, Jake knows he can see his foot prints from around the trailer.

Jake is hiding off to the side. Michael is going to walk into the pallet and Jake will slam it down on his knees.

He’ll admit he is pretty good at getting the timing right on that type of stuff.

Michael starts making his way over to the pallet and stops.

Jake is peeking around the corner, waiting for the right time.

He steps forward and Jake rounds the corner and slams the pallet down as hard as he can. 

“HAH!” he yells.

Too bad for Jake, Michael was a few inches away from any chance of being stunned and Jake is feeling a little embarrassed with himself right now.

He’s expecting Michael to kick it, this pallet is way too safe and Jake could easily loop him around it for a while.

But Michael doesn’t kick it, no, he’s just standing there looking at Jake from across the pallet.

Jake is looking back in utter confusion.

Michael starts backing away, still making eye contact with Jake before turning around and walking the other direction.

Jake is becoming more and more puzzled as this match goes on.

He’s not exactly sure why Michael isn’t doing much to interact with him this match, he should be happy that he’s probably going to get out of this one.

But something is itching at the back of Jake’s head, something isn’t sitting right with him and he’s trying not to let it bother him.

He starts walking the outskirts of the map, in hopes to maybe find Claudette healing herself in a corner or maybe he’ll be lucky enough to make it to an exit gate as the last generator springs to life.

Within a second Jake feels his pupils dilate and his heart skips a few beats and before he knows it he is sprinting his way down the corner of the map, he’s finally patched back up to normal.

Off in the distance, somewhere in the fog he can see the tall brick walls where an exit gate sits.

Dwight is making his way over to the lever and Jake waves him down.

He doesn’t notice him.

“Where’s Claud?” Jake asks and Dwight jumps at his voice and lets go of the bar.

“JAKE!” he yells in an irritated voice, hand heavy on his chest.

“Hey, you need better awareness, what happened to our bond?” Jake teases him.

“I didn’t think it would be a good idea to ask the entity if I could bring those skills to help me facilitate my objective.” He snaps

“Well, maybe next time you're feeling a little anxious. It wouldn’t hurt to ask.” Jake’s voice is comforting, he’s not speaking with any malicious intent.

He likes Dwight a lot, he’s a good guy. But he is a little skittish most of the time and Jake is a little concerned with how easily you can sneak up on him.

The gate starts making a loud buzzing noise.

“So, you never answered me. Have you seen…”

He’s cut off by Claudette’s scream off in the distance.

Jake winces at the sound, he might have spoken too soon.

“Do I open it?” Dwight questions Jake, his hand is holding the metal bar on the gate.

“Not yet, she’s only on the second phase of the hook. We just have to take a few hits. Now C’mon” He yanks Dwight back from his collar again and Dwight lets out a yelp.

They can hear her screaming as she lands back first onto a hook. 

They’re crouching around a few trees off in the corner. They can see the metal pole off in the distance and Michael is pacing around the area.

“Okay, here’s the plan” Dwight says as he pulls Jake closer, they are huddled together next to a brick wall and a few trees and Jake kind of enjoys it when Dwight takes charge like this.

“I’m going to go for the unhook and tell Claudette that she needs to open the gate, you stay here and wait for my signal. I’ll probably have to take a hit while I do it. But once you see the signal come out and run behind us. You follow us down to the gate. I want you to protect Claudette more than me. I haven’t been hooked this trial and that could give you and her a chance to heal if I go down” Dwight orders.

“Okay, what's the signal?” Jake questions.

There's a long pause.

“You’ll know it when you see it” He says and it’s not exactly reassuring but Jake is going to trust him anyway.

He’ll be on the lookout for whatever it might be.

Dwight runs off towards the hook as Jake watches intently behind the cluster of trees.

He sees Dwight make his way in front of the hook, Michael is making his way back around a few hay bales and Dwight baits out the grab.

He goes to lift Claudette up, the spider legs around the hook let up for a second before slamming back down in front of her chest.

Michael stabs Dwight in the back and pulls his knife out, Dwight lets out a painful scream and Jake is horrified at the scene in front of him.

He can hear Dwight yelling something, but he can’t make it out.

Claudette is running in the direction past Jake to the exit gate and Jake doesn’t see any kind of signal from Dwight and decides to act on impulse.

He makes his way past the trees and runs over in the other 2 survivors directions. 

They are both groaning in pain and Jake is ready to get out of this match.

Dwight is running a little off to the left, he’s making a wider turn to the exit gate, Jake is following right behind Claudette who’s running in a straight line.

Jake can feel the killer's presence right behind him. He glances a look and Michael is right there.

Jake knows he’s in range of taking a hit and yet this guy just won’t take it.

Jake is trying to keep up behind Claudette but she starts swerving and weaving. She knows Michael is close.

She slams open the gate and the metal door starts opening up.

Dwight is coming around the corner and Jake tries his best to get in Michael’s way of Dwight.

He swings and Jake does a 180 degree turn on him.

Michael stops and starts recovering from the swing.

“GO, GO, GO!” Dwight yells as he and Claudette make their way into the fog but leave Jake behind.

Jake’s actions have put himself back into the map, just right outside the doors.

Michael is standing in the dirt path that leads to the fog, facing away from Jake.

Jake’s heart is hammering in his chest. 

He’s not moving.

He’s just standing there.

Jake isn’t entirely sure what he should be doing right now, maybe he runs back into the map to look for hatch? Maybe he goes to find the other exit gate?

But before Jake can entertain any of those thoughts, the taller man is turning around and walking past him.

The rush sends a small gust of wind in Jake's direction and he shutters.

Jake’s eyes are wider than a western tarsier right now and he isn’t exactly sure how to process any of this.

He feels rooted to the ground right now, unable to move.

He can hear the sounds of the realm collapsing behind him.

He finds the energy to make a break for it and runs into the fog, he looks behind him one last time and can see Michael standing there off in the distance.

Watching him.

Jake is being swallowed by the dark mist and it’s always such a strange feeling, like the air is being sucked out of your lungs.

He stumbles his way out of the black fog and is greeted by his fellow teammates.

“YOU MADE IT OUT!!” Claudette exclaims, she runs over to him and jumps into his arms.

“I was so worried you weren’t going to make it, that new killer is something else” She squeezes him a little tighter, Jake isn’t exactly much of a hugger but he knows Claudette well enough that she is, and personal space between them has never exactly been existent since she started growing comfortable around him.

“Did you get out from hatch?” Dwight questions, he’s scratching the back of his neck.

“Yeah, I saw you run back into the realm” Claudette exclaims as she pulls away from Jake to get a better look at him.

Jake has a puzzling look on his face, he’s trying to process what happened that match and he’s not exactly sure what to make of all of it.

He doesn’t answer any of them.

“Are you okay, Jake?” Laurie asks him, she’s walking over to him now a concerning look on her face.

“Oh, me?” Jake huffs out a laugh

“Yeah, I'm fine” He waves his hand in the air, a pained smile on his face.

Laurie gives him a puzzled look.

“I think I’m just tired… Long match” he admits, he’s peeling Claudette off of his side and starts making his way past his fellow survivors.

Jake doesn’t make an effort to look behind him as he walks into the forest, he can feel their eyes burning holes on the back of his head as he leaves.

He’s grateful that no one comes to follow him, he likes his time alone.

He’s making his way down the dirt path through the trees. 

He comes to the opening, the willow tree is standing tall and strong as usual.

Jake makes his way over to the tree and carefully sits down in front of it. 

He pushes his knees up to his chest and holds onto his body. Gently laying his face on his legs.

He’s tired and confused and can’t seem to comprehend the trial from today. There were one too many times where Michael could have easily hurt, hooked and killed him.

‘But he still hit you when you were working on that generator in the barn and picked you up’

‘Yeah, but he dropped you’

‘He still chased you around the barn”

‘Yeah, but he let you go when he clearly could have caught you’

‘Maybe he knew, even if you took a hit for Claudette while you were running out the gate you would have still made it out safely’

‘Did he just have tunnel vision for her?’

‘You were always going to make it out and he knew that, that’s why walked past you’

Jake lets out a deep sigh and pulls his legs in closer to his chest. He’s curling in on himself.

He adjusts his face so his forehead rests on his knees.

‘You’re overthinking this, Jake’

He hears something.

His head snaps up from its position. He’s looking around in front of him, but he doesn’t see anything in particular.

Jake has that weird feeling again, from the other night with Laurie.

He uncurls himself from his body and leans over to check if there is anything behind the tree he’s sitting under.

A crow screeches and comes flying down onto the log next to him.

Jake watches it land.

“Are you spying on me?” He says with a sheepish grin, he places his palm down onto the log and looks at the animal in front of him.

The bird is tilting its head back and forth, looking at Jake.

“You feel it too, don’t you?” Jake speaks to the raven.

Jake has been feeling a little weird being out here in the forest lately and he wonders if the Entity has been keeping a closer eye on the survivors since the newcomers got sucked into this world.

The bird cries out and bounces it’s way over, landing perfectly on top of his hand. Jake lifts the bird up and resumes his position under the tree.

He’s placing the bird that is on his hand on top of his knees resting against his chest. 

He starts to pet the little creature.

The crow is watching Jake, listening as he starts to whisper out a tune.

“I've been going through these pages

So many things I'd like to see

But I've been thinking lately

That it would be alright with me

If I never see that sunset

Or the famous tenerife sea

Cause I know where I'm going

As long as you are here with me”

Jake sings softly into the open air for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm becoming proficient in my knowledge of fixing generators as this story progresses haha
> 
> The song Jake was singing at the end was "Rich Man- Hearts & Color"
> 
> It's a rlly cute song if you wanna give it a listen!
> 
> Again, thanks so much for reading!! see you all next week <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly...I'm just posting off schedule now so I don't drive myself mad at this point LOL
> 
> Take another early chapter post.
> 
> Enjoy

It’s been a couple of days since his extremely weird match with Michael and Jake is doing everything in his power to try and forget it.

If he wasn’t dangling from a meat hook right now he would be shuddering in his skin again.

He’s feeling a little hopeful that things are going to be different with Michael this time around.

Jake would like to pray and hope so. 

He feels like he’s off to a good start so far. It’s weird of him to feel some form of relief when he was thrown back first onto the metal hook in front of the gas station in the realm of Autohaven Wreckers.

He was trying to work on the generator in the shop. But you can only run around that vehicle sitting in the garage for so long before making the decision of throwing that pallet down.

The pallet isn’t exactly one of the safe ones, but Michael is pretty good at mind gaming when he’s actually chasing Jake and he didn’t exactly have the best reflexes when it comes to jumping over the pallet at the right time.

He got slashed across the chest on his way back over the pallet in Michael's direction and collapsed in front of him.

It seems like Michael is playing a fair game this trial and Jake is more or less grateful for it. The cuts on his body have made some of the tension that’s been building up in him release.

He’s staring at his feet, hanging there as he waits for one of his teammates to come rescue him.

He can hear Claudette being hooked around the piles of stacked up cars in front of him.

This match isn’t exactly looking too good.

They’ve only been in this realm for a few minutes, a single generator has been done so far and; Claudette, Nea and Jake have all been hooked once.

Jake is beginning to wonder if anyone will have time to come save him before the threatening creature starts to hover around the hook.

Jake looks up for a second, he sees the legs starting to form around him. But he also sees a red head of hair peeking from behind piles of trash around the corner.

She makes her way over to Jake, she looks in either direction before pulling him up and over the hook.

Jake lets out a cry and falls onto his knees.

“Oh god, are you alright?” Meg asks in a concerning voice. She’s trying to help him back up to his feet.

“Never better” He laughs, he manages to get back up with her help. 

He hunches over in pain “Ahhhh, fuck” He’s holding his chest where the massive gash is from earlier. He pulls his hand away and there is blood all over his gloves.

“Here, let me help you” She has a hand on his shoulder, she’s pushing him back to get a better look at his wounds.

His jacket is torn open over his left pec down to the middle of his stomach.

“Don’t worry, I can do it myself, you go save Claudette” Jake pants out.

“Please, It’ll go faster if you let me” She says to him, she’s already placing her hand on his chest.

A dark mist emanates from her hands and Jake can feel himself slowly start to feel better.

“Thanks Megs” He huffs out with a small smile.

Meg looks up at him and smiles a small tint of pink creeping up on her cheeks.

She’s gentle with him, she bandages him back to normal.

He sucks in a deep breath and stands up a little taller.

“You can go finish up that generator I started, It’s over in the garage. It’s more than halfway done” Jake points behind her, her eyes follow his gesture.

“You’ll be okay?” Meg questions, she’s walking backwards in the direction of the building.

“Always” He shoots her a smile and they go their separate ways.

He can still sense Claudette on the hook around the piles of vehicles, he’s slowly making his way over.

There are no signs of Michael anywhere, Jake assumes that Nea’s got him busy. He slowly makes his way over to the hook.  
She’s already gone second stage, the limbs are trying to pierce her chest but she’s holding on as best as she can. 

Jake quickly runs over and lifts her up and over the hook. She falls down to her feet with a cry.

“Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner” He stresses.

She lets out a gasp, it startles Jake a little and his eyes grow wide.

“What is it?” He questions, she’s pushing Jake away without notice.

“I have a bad feeling… He’s coming” She expresses, a worried look on her face. She’s moving at an alarmingly fast pace and Jake is still trying to catch up to everything.

Jake looks over at the excavator off to his left as Michael rounds the corner.

He didn’t even notice how fast his heart was racing until now.

He starts walking backwards as Michael approaches. He spins on his heels and breaks off into a sprint.

Michael is following right behind him.

Jake finds a section ahead of him that has a pretty nice set up of an L and T wall. He runs off into the L walls direction and quickly vaults the window.

Michael follows him down the tile and Jake tricks him into moving left. He’s running around the short section of the wall.

He makes his way into the middle of the wreckage and vaults the T wall. Michael takes the long way around and Jake repeats the same actions.

Michael is making the same moves.

Jake is taking him on a third loop and braces himself for the Entity blockers and possible mind game.

He vaults the L wall again and the Entity blocks it off, he runs to the right but quickly spins around and makes his way around the other side of the wall.

He rounds the corner and runs face first into the taller man's chest.

Jake falls back onto the ground.  
His eyes follow from Michael's knees all the way up to his pale face. 

Jake takes in a gulp.

They are making intense eye contact, Jake can hear the man’s breathing under the latex mask.

It’s low and hollow.

He’s not exactly sure what’s going to happen next, but he braces himself for the worst.

Michael lifts up his knife in the air and Jake closes his eyes shut and waits for the impact.

Nothing.

He opens one eye and watches as Michael steps over him and walks off.

His heart feels like it fell into his stomach, he’s not sure what to make of what just happened.

‘Maybe it’s cruel to hit someone when they’re already down?’ Jake thinks to himself.

But that never stopped any of the other killers.

‘Wake up, Jake’

He lifts his hand up and drags his palm down his face, processing everything that just happened.

“Lying on the job, Mr. Wild life?” A voice calls off behind him.

Jake leans back on his elbows and tilts his head back. 

It’s Nea.

“I….I fell” He nervously answers her.

“I can see that” She huffs out a laugh and Jake can’t remember the last time he’s heard her laugh, though it’s not because of anything funny he said. 

“Do you need to be recovered?” She walks around in front of him, placing her hands on her hips.

“No, I’m fine” He responds, he’s picking himself off of the ground now. 

Dusting himself off and bringing his arms out wide in a way to display himself.

“See!”

She gives him a look, Jake isn’t exactly sure what she's trying to say. One of her eyebrows are raised and her mouth is in a flat line.

Jake nervously laughs in response to her questioning facial expression.

“Have you seen the others?” He asks her, trying to make conversation and ignore her blatant judging.

She turns around and starts walking around the junk-yard tiles and Jake follows behind her.

“Meg and I were able to get the generator in the garage done, then I came looking around here for something useful”

Jake nods in response.

“I didn’t end up finding anything” She says flatly and Jake can feel the shot go directly in the center of his forehead. 

He’s going to try to not let that comment bother him.

He knows they have never really gotten along, but Jake wouldn’t go so far as to say they weren’t friends. More so acquaintances, people that have no other choice but to be around each other and make it work for the sake of not dying.

Maybe they aren’t exactly friends.

They are walking between a few trees, they are coming up to the excavator that Jake was at earlier.

Nea makes a left and is walking up the ramp into the metal machine.

Jake follows her into the control panel room.

“You know you don’t have to follow me around like you’re a lost puppy” She complains, there is a chest sitting in front of the controls and she lifts up the lid and starts rummaging through it.

Jake can hear the echoes of junk being pushed around as Nea goes through the old piece of wood.

“I just thought, maybe we could stick together? You know, like a team?” He comments.  
His heart is starting to race a little, he knows the killer is in the area.

Jake decides to peek over the window in front of him. Seeing if he can get a look at what's out there.

There isn’t much of a view, he can see some trees on the brick wall that keeps the realm together.

Nea lets out a gasp, she’s jumping up to her feet.

He hears Claudette scream.

It sounds like it’s coming from in front of the excavator, where the claw hangs. Jake starts walking over to the door to get a better look but Nea shoves him back into the control room.

She’s pushing the sports flashlight she found in the center of his chest and quickly moves past him.

“What are yo-”

“She’s under a pallet!! MOVE”

Nea is quickly running down the ramp, Jake is trying his best to keep up. He assumes she saw her go down because of their bond.

They both make their way in front of the machine, Nea runs up to the pallet. 

But she moves too soon, Michael has yet to even pick up Claudette and he sees her standing there.

Michael steps a little over Claudette who is crying on the ground and swings his knife at Nea.

Hitting her across the arm.

Blood goes spraying off to the side, hitting the pallet and Nea screams.

She starts running past Jake.

He feels rooted to the ground right now. He hasn’t exactly been functioning well this match.

Michael has been throwing him for a loop and Jake is finding it hard to get in the mindset of “I’m playing for my life” when he in fact hasn’t been doing that as often as he would like.

Michael is inspecting his knife after the hit, he’s looking at either side before he stops. He drops his hands to his sides and looks at Jake.

Jake is staring back at him, he swallows hard.

Michael takes a step back.

Claudette is at his feet.

Thankfully she had her forehead to the ground so she didn’t get to witness what happened above her.

Michael bends down and picks her up by the neck, she lets out a cry and Jake’s eyes grow wide.

He’s killing her by his own hands.

He hasn’t seen this killer do that yet.

Jake feels sick, he watches as she struggles, one hand holding his wrist and the other is hitting him in an attempt to escape.

The kitchen knife stabs into her chest and she screams, she’s still hitting him. He pulls the knife out a little bit before plunging back into her chest.

He tosses her to the ground.

He’s seen many other killers kill his friends without the entity. But for some reason this one makes Jake feel a little strung out.

Michael and Jake are still standing in place, looking at one another. Jake can feel a shiver run down his spine. 

He shudders at the feeling.

Michael starts walking forward in Jake's direction, his knife is still at his side, Jake's not making much of an effort to move right now.

He feels like he’s in quicksand.

He drops his flashlight on the ground as Michael walks up to him.

Jake looks up.

He swiftly lifts his knife up and stabs Jake in his scalenes muscle, right at the base of his neck.  
Jake screams as the knife gets ripped out of him, he falls onto the ground on his knees.

Blood is pouring from the wound and Jake does his best to put pressure on it.

A generator springs to life off in the distance and Michael walks past Jake and finds his way over in that direction.

Jake is trying to make sense of it all. 

He tells himself the next time Michael decides to have a stare down with him, he’s going to make a run for it.

He’s feeling a little lightheaded.

He calls on the entity to help with his self healing.

The mist emanates from his hand and starts to closely close up his wound, It’s a long process and he’s slowly mending himself.

Meg comes flying around the vehicle sitting in front of the excavator and throws the pallet down in front of him.

Jake jumps at the action and lets out a cry as he punctures his wound.

He lunges forward on himself and blood comes pouring out onto his hand.

“I’m sorry Jake!!!” She exclaimed.

“Ahhhh” Jake manages to get out, he’s still on his knees, hands around his neck.

“They’re over in shack and I thought he saw me… God, I panicked” She places her hands over her face and shakes her head.

Jake is still trying to clean himself up, he’s not exactly sure what to say to her.

“He’s… He’s killing…. Fuck” Jake messes up again as blood continues to pour out of his neck.

“Here let me help” She offers, Jake places a bloody hand up in the air.

“It’s okay, I need to get better at this” He says to her, he goes back to concentrating on patching himself up.

“Jake, it doesn’t look good. He was patrolling the three generators around those piles of cars earlier” Jake isn’t sure that is entirely true because he’s spent a lot of time with Michael this match. But he can understand the frustration of being chased off a generator.

Jake manages to finish healing and stands up from his knees. He’s wiping the blood on his hands across his green jacket.

“He’s killing by his own hands… I saw it” Jake recalls.

“I had a feeling, when the entity told me she died I…” Meg shutters, she crosses her arms over her body and starts rubbing her exposed biceps.

“Is it bad?” She questions and Jake knits his brows together, he’s reminded of the display he witnessed earlier.

“We should go find a generator” Jake dodges the question, it doesn’t feel in the mood to talk about their friend dying and he knows Meg will understand.

They start making their way over to a two person generator, tucked away in some piles of rubbish.

They kneel down in front of it.

The generator simply doesn’t have any voltage. This is one of the easier generators to fix. 

They’ve already gotten 3 completed this match and Jake is surprised they’ve managed to get that much done.

He would like to think a lot of it was on him. Seeing as he’s kind of been distracting Michael with their consistent stare downs.

Jake starts locating the voltage regulator, he finds the two wires that connect to the generator brushes.

“Which colour goes where, again?” Meg questions Jake.

Jake smiles at her, “Just connect the black to the ground battery first. Red wire connects to the terminals”

“I always confuse the two” She sighs, a hand over her face.

“Don’t sweat it, Megs” He lightly pats her shoulder, her face goes red at the touch and she darts her eyes back to the generator .

They remove the wires and replace the plug, the generator is starting to produce power again.

Meg starts to unplug the brush wires from the automatic voltage regulator to ensure she doesn’t damage it. 

They finish rewiring the cords and it’s time to pull the rip-cord.

“You do the honours!!” Jake voices, he’s standing up to his feet now.

Meg smiles as she yanks the cord down and the generator comes to life, a low rumbling emerges from the machine.

“We should stick together” She emphasizes and Jake smiles at her, he likes that idea a lot.

“Let go find the last gen to work on” She says, a little skip in her step and Jake has always liked Meg's energy.

They are walking around the right side of the realm, peering over piles of garbage and looking around tree’s to find one of the last generators.

“So” Meg says and Jake darts his eyes in her direction.

“What do you think of the new girl?” 

Jake knits his brows together and thinks, he really enjoys Laurie and her company. They've been spending a lot of time together at the campfire and work really well together in trials.

“I like her a lot, she’s great and I think we get along nicely” Jake comments.

Meg nods.

“I notice you two spend a lot of time together” She adds, they can’t seem to find any of the last generators on the side of the map they are currently walking around. So they start to make their way over to the left side of the realm.

“I guess so?” Jake answers her.

Meg has a strange look on her face and Jake is trying to understand what's going on in her mind.

She’s rubbing her arms again and Jake gets the feeling she’s upset.

“Is everything okay?” He questions her, he walks a little closer to her now.

“It’s just…” She pauses.

“I don’t know, you guys just get along so well and you two are always in the forest together and I know I have a hard time when it comes to being in the dark and I want to be out there with you two and I-”

“Meg” Jake cuts her off.

Her eyes are starting to water.

Jake stops in his tracks, he reaches his hand out and pulls on her arm. She gets yanked back in his direction.

She’s not looking at him, her head is down on her chest.

Jake places his hands on both of her arms.

“Hey, look at me” He demands.

She lifts her head up, glossy eyes meeting his own. 

She sniffles.

“Just because I hang out with Laurie after trials, doesn’t mean I don’t like you anymore” His voice is soft and comforting.

She gives him a sorrowful look as a tear falls down her cheek.

Jake smiles at her, he’s lifting his hand up to swipe away the tear trailing down her face.

“Meg, you’re energetic and enjoyable to be around and if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t know how to sprint as fast I can or jump over windows and pallets without making any sound or all of those amazing things. You’re the one who taught me all of that and if it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t have made out of as many trials I have. I can always count on you in a match”

She closes her eyes and sucks in a breath.

“Just because Laurie is here now and I spend time with her doesn’t make you any less of a friend to me”

“I know, it’s just…” Her voice cracks.

“You’re still my best friend, Megs” Jake reassures her, He’s pulling her closer to him and embraces her into a hug.

She wraps her arms around him and takes in a few heavy breaths.

“You’re my best friend too” She hiccups, a few more tears falling from her eyes.

They hold on to each other for a few moments, before pulling away.

“T-t-thank you, Jake” She’s wiping her eyes with her arm and smiles at him.

“C’mon, we should really get the last generator done” He says as he wraps his arm around her shoulders and they walk side by side around the back of the gas station towards the piles of stacked up vehicles.

They make their way around the pile of metal, they haven’t seen Michael or Nea in a few minutes and Jake is feeling a little bad about spending a couple of minutes not working on objectives.

They find a generator sitting next to a few trees, but before they can kneel down and get a feel for what's wrong with it they hear a heartbeat creeping up behind them.

Micheal is walking from around the open pathway between two rocks and is making his way to them.

“I’ll keep him out of this area!!” Jake says to her, he starts charging his way to Michael like a bull.

Jake is not going to let this guy throw him off any more this match. If he wants to just intimidate him and watch him for the rest of the match Jake would be okay with that. As long as everyone else gets out.

He makes his way up to Michael, Michael swings his knife at Jake but he dodges the hit and spins around him.

Michael recovers from the missed hit and starts following behind Jake.

Jake is weaving around the trees down the path. He decides to skip on the small set of tiles and go right for the shack. He knows he can run it really well.

He makes his way through the doorway into shack and waits to see which direction Michael is going to move in.

Michael follows Jake.

He runs into the shack and vaults the window as fast as he can, Michael decides to go out the door where the pallet is and Jake runs the other direction. Back to the door he first came out of.

He makes his way into the shack but he stops in his tracks as he watches Michael step over the window from the outside.

He decides to run to the other door anyway, he flys past Michael and runs to the pallet.

Jake pauses at the pallet.

Michael takes a step back to avoid the stun, but Jake doesn’t throw it and he runs off around the corner.

Michael continues to follow him along the side of the shack with the window, Jake makes his way back into the doorway and runs to the window from the inside.

“FUCK!” Jake cries out as a knife cuts deep into his back as he makes his way over the window.

He’s panicking a little, he didn’t expect Michael to be so close to him to get a hit off. That kind of cuts his running time down a bit. But Jake is going to make the most of it.

He moves right and makes his way over to the pallet. He’s planning on dropping it first then making his way out to the pallet near the excavator.

He rounds the corner to the pallet but is met with the Killer in front of him, Jake panics and quickly tries to drop the pallet but he’s too late.

Michael stabs into his arm and Jake collapses onto the ground in front of the taller man.

He’s groaning, holding the area of his arm that’s now bleeding. The gash across his back isn’t doing him any favours either.

Michael doesn’t pick him up. Instead he steps over him and walks off into the direction of the generator that Meg was working on.

Jake realizes that he hasn’t seen Nea since earlier in the match so she must be lurking about, maybe she could help him back to his feet and they can finally get out of this match.

Jake starts to crawl his way under the pallet, it’s not too far away but he does it for good measure.

He starts working on patching himself up as much as he can to make it easier for his teammates to help him back up.

His hand is over the wound on his arm and he can feel the Entities warmth closing up the open cut.

Jake jumps as he hears Meg being hooked down the ways. He knows that Nea is injured and he’s not exactly sure how the rest of the match is going to go.

It’s Meg's first hook and that puts a glimmer of hope in Jake’s eyes. He continues healing himself.

He can see Michael making his way back over to him. Jake’s heart is hammering in his chest.

He steps in front of him, bends down and lifts Jake up by his chest.

He lets out a huff as he’s thrown over the masked man’s shoulder. He figures he’s going into the basement but to his dismay, Michael is walking outside of the shack and down the ways to where Meg was hooked.

Jake’s not sure if he’ll have enough time to wiggle out but he tries anyway. He starts moving his body back and forth as they make their way over in the direction Meg was hooked.

Jake can feel Meg being pulled off, he knows he’s going to be thrown over that same hook.

But he hears the sound of metal hitting the ground.

Someone Sabotaged the hook.

“RUN MEG” Nea screams.

Jake can feel himself being lifted back up and thrown to the ground.

“AHHH” He yells as he hits the ground face first.

He can hear the generator moving in front of him, it sounds like it’s close to finishing and Jake wishes there was some way he could pick himself up and finish it.

He looks behind him and winces at the pain that shoots down his back, he can see Michael walking off in the distance with Meg and Nea.

Jake turns back to look at the generator.

“Just you and me” He sighs, he places his head down on the ground and waits to be picked up.

He hears a scream off in the distance, it sounds like Meg is being killed.

Jake places his hands in front of him and starts crawling around. He wonders if maybe he can find the hatch if things go south.

He’s slowly making his way past the generator and around a few trees, his body is hurting really bad and he’s letting out a few soft cries.

He doesn’t see hatch anywhere in the area so he decides to make his way around the piles of stacked up vehicles.

He’s slowly dragging his body around the realm.

He looks over his shoulder to see if he can see Nea.

She’s nowhere in sight.

He hears her scream off in the distance and Jake takes in a deep sigh. Placing his forehead down onto the ground, hands above his head.

He doesn’t bother moving anymore, he can feel Nea being killed as well. 

So he decides to just accept that he’ll be getting the same treatment.

It’s quiet.

He moves his hands under his face and rests his cheek onto his arms and takes in another deep sigh.

He closes his eyes as he starts to feel his heartbeat quicken.

Michael walks up to him and stands above him.

“Just kill me already” Jake says flatly, he’s tired of this match and wants to get back to the campfire.

Jake takes in a breath as he feels himself being lifted from the ground and thrown back over his shoulder.

He makes no effort in wiggling out, he knows the hook that was sabotaged is back and he’s accepting the loss.

“Ugggggggghhhh” Jake lets out a groan.

He’s dangling over Michael’s shoulder, his arms are swaying over his head.

It’s taking awhile and Jake knows he should have been hooked by now. He takes a moment to look up and he sees they’re walking past the hook and in the direction of shack.

Basement was there and maybe he wants to really please the entity in this match.

Jake puts his head back down and closes his eyes, he wants this match to be over.

They continue walking and Jake is starting to feel a little light headed from being hung over Michael for so long.

His head is bobbing as Michael takes him on a journey.

“Where are we go- AHHHH” Jake is cut off from the quick movement of being lifted back off the taller man's shoulder and being thrown back down on the ground. 

Jake’s scarf slips off around his neck at the motion and lands on the ground behind Michael.

Jake’s head bounces off the ground and he holds it in pain.

“Owwww” He groans for a second before freezing in position.

He hears the Entity’s whispers.

He quickly snaps his head up.

There it is.

The hatch is a few feet in front of him and Jake is just staring at it.

He’s unsure what to do.

Is this a taunt?

Will Michael close it in his face and then kill him by his hand?

Jake’s not sure he wants to crawl any closer to it to find out.

He feels Michael standing behind him and It’s unnerving. He shudders in his skin.

Jake refuses to move.

They’re having a stand off and Jake is going to wait it out as long as he can. He’s not going to make a fool of himself.

It’s about a minute later and Jake can feel himself being lifted back up over Michael’s shoulder.

“Ahhh” He pants, he’s only draped over the man’s shoulder for a second before he’s being thrown back down onto the ground.

He lands back onto his stomach, but this time he can feel the entity tingling on his body.

He looks down and he is lying diagonally on top of the hatch.

Jake is really confused now.

Michael walks off and stands in front of Jake. 

Jake is met with Michael’s boots a few feet from his face, he really doesn’t want to look up.

He can already feel those dark lifeless eyes watching him from above.

Jake swallows and decides to bite the bullet and jumps down the hatch.

The entity embraces him and Jake can feel all of his wounds heal and the cuts into his clothes sewing themselves back together.

Though his scarf doesn’t make it onto his body again, Jake is too caught up in what happened to really care about the article of clothing not making it back with him.

He emerges from the fog and everyone is there to greet him

“That took awhile” Nea comments as Jake takes in his surroundings.

“What happened? Are you alright?” Meg questions, she’s placing a hand on his shoulder.

Jake is staring at his feet.

“I…” He stutters.

“I think I need some space,” He says, brushing Meg’s hand off of his shoulder.

He needs to think about what just happened.

He makes his way past the other survivors and walks into the forest behind the campfire.

The others all look at each other, a bit of confusion dusted over their faces. But they don’t second guess it.

Laurie is the most perplexed by it all.

“Someone should go talk to him,” she says to the others.

They all give each other knowing looks and a pretend like nothing happened. They proceed to start taking their respected seats on the ground and logs scattered around their camp.

“Something is clearly wrong!” Laurie shouts.

“Uhhh Laurie… I know you’re still kind of new here” Meg trails off, she is trying to find the right words to explain to her what's going on.

“But Jake…” she adds.

“Bird boy likes to be alone” Nea says, she lets out a small chuckle and Laurie doesn’t really understand the situation.

“Something is wrong though! He did the exact same thing the other day” Laurie tries to argue with them.

“That's just how Jake is” Meg is trying to reassure her but Laurie doesn’t like their answers.

“Yeah, sometimes he just wants to go off and do his own thing. He’ll be okay” Claudette adds with a smile.

“He doesn't say much when he’s here anyway” Nea adds.

“If no one else is going to do it, then I will. I’m going to go talk to him” Laurie says and everyone starts talking over each other and telling her how ‘that's not a good idea,’ ‘It’s best to leave him alone,’ ‘just stay here with us’

But Laurie doesn’t want to take no for an answer.

She decides to ignore everyone's pleas to her and stomps her way into the forest.

She can hear her name being called from behind. She ignores them all and makes her way to Jake’s hideout.

She follows the dirt path like she remembered the times they’ve been out here.

Walking past the few clusters of red wood trees and tall rocks, she makes her way into the open center of the forest.

Jake is sitting on the log underneath the big willow tree, he’s facing away from her and Laurie isn’t exactly sure what to say to him right now.

She made her way out here, but her mouth feels dry and her head feels empty.

“You didn’t have to come here,” He says.

She jumps a little at his voice, she wasn’t exactly expecting him to notice her so quickly.

“I just… I wanted to see if you were alright?” She quietly asks him.

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me” Jake says, his voice is tired and Laurie can tell that something isn’t right.

“You know you can talk to me” She reassures him, she’s walking a little closer to him now.

“I’m not much of a talker” He huffs out a laugh.

“You were when you showed me this place.”

It’s quiet and Jake is processing how true that statement is. She was really easy to talk to that night. She’s not exactly like the others, Jake would say that Meg is one of the easier survivors to hang out with when he’s around the campfire, she likes to talk a lot and Jake is a really good listener.

But Jake has never exactly made an effort to talk. He waits for people to ask him questions, rather than offering up any of his thoughts.

He ponders the idea of telling Laurie his experience in the match.

It’s still so strange to him.

He would much rather dodge her question with one of his own.  
“Did he ever show signs of remorse?” 

It's quiet again.

“So it was him,” Laurie replies, she’s making her way over to the log now. Jake is still backfacing her, elbows rested firmly on his knees, knuckles under his chin.

“I haven't exactly been here long, but I’ve been through enough trials to know that I don’t think these beings can feel something like that.” She begins to say.

“I’ve been through this so many times before, I’m not exactly sure how long I’ve been doing this,” he huffs out a laugh.

“I’ve just…”

He pauses.

“I’ve never had this happen before”

Laurie places her hand on his shoulder, “Jake, what happened?”

Jake takes in a gulp, he decides on whether or not he wants to give her the play by play on just how odd the match was for him. But he decides to go with something simpler.

“He...He let me go” 

Laurie’s hand stutters on his shoulder and Jake closes his eyes tightly.

“He showed no remorse when he killed my friends” 

Jake winces at her comment.

It’s weird to think that this masked man went around killing people with ease back on earth and yet in a world where it’s all a matter of life and death and his only task is to kill him and his friends and he just, doesn’t??

“He’s playing with you Jake” She explains.

Her hand lifts off his shoulder. She sits next to him in the opposite direction.

“Some people are just bad seeds” She says, she places her hands behind her and leans back.

She’s looking up at the sky, the moonlight is pouring down on her face.

“And Michael is just one of those seeds” she adds.

Jake drops his head onto his chest, it feels like it should all make sense and yet he’s struggling to piece it all together.

“There is nothing human about him”

Jake darts his eyes in her direction.

“There is nothing left of him, no reason, no conscious, no understanding”

Jake still isn’t saying anything, he’s letting her speak, letting her help him understand the meaning behind all of this.

“He’s evil”

She pauses

“Evil in the shape of a man”

“The Shape” Jake whispers to himself.

“You’ve been around nature for a good part of your life, right?” her question is rhetorical, she already knows the answer.

Jake doesn’t respond.

“Have you ever seen how a cat acts with its prey?”

Jake lets out a sigh.

“The main reason why cats act like that with their prey, is to aim to exhaust them before moving in for the kill.”

She’s looking over at him now, a concerning look on her face. She wants him to understand.

“He’s playing with his food, Jake”

Jake takes this moment to look over at her, she has a stern look on her face. She wants him to understand so bad and Jake’s head is still swirling.

“But… Why me?” He doesn’t expect her to have that answer, but he asks her anyway.

“Jake” She stresses his name in her mouth, Jake can tell she wants the light bulb to turn on in his head.

But Jake has never had something like this happen before. None of the other Killers have ever second guessed killing him... and then there is Michael.

“You’re probably right” he reassures her, he doesn’t exactly believe the words coming out of his mouth but he hopes saying it out loud might change his mind.

“This is exactly what he wants Jake” She places her hand on his shoulder and moves him in a way to look at her.

Their faces are a few inches apart.

“He’s making you believe that there is something special about you, there is always that one person he has sought out for. Before this.. This place...This world… it was me” 

Her face is stern and Jake doesn’t know what’s more shocking to him, the trial from today or Laurie’s exasperated look right in his face.

“Don’t fall into his trap”

He sighs.

He’s looking away from her now.

She lets go of his shoulder, eyes still fixed on him.

Jake doesn’t make eye contact. He turns away from her and places his arms onto his knees.

“I’ll leave you alone now” She says to him, she’s standing up from her position on the log.

She places a hand on his back and Jake flinches a little at the touch.

“Try not to think too hard. You’ll drive yourself crazy” She comments.

She makes her way across the opening and disappears into the trees, back to the campfire.

Jake holds his head in his hands and huffs out a breath.

Laurie is probably right, he’s overthinking everything right now. He’s nothing more than a playing piece to Michael.

Killers are remnants of beasts…

There is no piece of humanity in them…

They carry no signs of remorse...

They live to serve the Entity… 

And in the end… 

It’s all just a part of the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: WE HAVE SOME BEAUTIFUL ART TO GO WITH THE STORY!!! Please go give it some love! It's by hellyeatrash on tumblr! Q_Q
> 
> <https://hellyeatrash.tumblr.com/post/615320087791108096/so-i-just-had-to-draw-this-lovely-fic-by>
> 
> My friend called me out and said I project onto Jake a lot and Meg reminds me so much of my older sister and thats why I feel like they would be best friends. LOL
> 
> Thanks for sticking around so far, all your feedback is always loved and much appreciated :D
> 
> See you soon


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whats a schedule???? I don't know her.  
> I'm getting to the point where I might just post these when I finish them. lol  
> You guys let me know what you like better! :D

It’s been only a few trials after the hatch incident with Michael and Jake hasn’t exactly washed it out of his memory.

He’s trying not to think about it too much, but Laurie’s words are still ringing in his head. 

She makes a lot of sense and Jake can’t understand why he’s still doubting everything she said to him that night. He’s trying to figure out why he can’t help but feel like there is something more to all of this.

‘There has to be a bigger reasoning to why a monster like him would just let me go like that.’

‘He has to be displeasing the entity with his actions.’

‘Why does he do it anyway?’

‘Is there some form of humanity in him that he feels bad for killing me?’ 

‘If that's true why does he only let me go?’

His thoughts are cut short when he hears his name being called. 

“W-what?” He shakes his head, he’s looking at all the eyes fixated on him.

“Yesterday’s trial!” Meg says, she lightly punches Jakes arm, “When you spun the hillbilly around like 4 or 5 times in a row”

Laurie starts to giggle, “I’m so glad I was able to witness that with my own two eyes.”

“ME TOO!” Meg shouts.

“There I am, just minding my own business on a generator and then all of a sudden, my heart starts racing and then I hear the chainsaw revving and then…” Meg cuts herself off with a laugh and her movements are very theatrical.

“And then…” She laughs again and Jake can’t help but smile, Meg's energy has always been infectious and Jake enjoys when she gets like this.

“I see Jake running this guy around in… in circles!” She lets out another burst of giggles, she’s holding her stomach and leaning over her legs.

“He’s just running around him like this and he misses every shot” She has her left pointer finger up and her right is doing circles around the other.

Everyone starts to chuckle at her movements.

“It was...”

“Really amazing and super funny”

Jake can hear Laurie giggling next to him, she’s sitting on the ground, leaning on the log, right next to his leg.

“I never thought I would say this but I wish I was in that trial so I could see it,” Claudette says, wiping her eyes from all the laughter.

“It wasn’t bad” Nea comments and Jake feels a little bit content at the fact that something he did might have impressed the stoic woman sitting across from him.

“Man, I don’t know how you guys can do that” Dwight says in a sorrowful voice, he’s leaning his face on his hands, elbows on his knees.

“I feel like they’re always so patient with me, they wait until I make a wrong move” He frowns.

“It’s just all about mind gaming them” Nea comments.

“Yeah but how do you do that when you end up...” He pauses with a sigh.

“Mind gaming yourself?” Dwight adds with a pout.

“He wasn’t doing that well in the match, I think I just got lucky” Jake says, he adjusts himself on the uncomfortable piece of wood and drags his hands up his legs.

“You always do that,” Meg respondes. Jake looks over at her with a confused look.

“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” she smiles, placing her hand over one of his own.

If Jake grew up in a household where he was never held to the standards of perfect, this would be an entirely different conversation.

He half heartedly smiles at her and shrugs.

“Yeah, you’re not a bad runner” Laurie adjusts herself on the ground, she’s placing her elbows on the log and is staring in Jake’s direction now.

“I’m nothing like you” He says to her with a small smirk and Laurie’s eyes grow wide, she can’t help but smile at the comment.

“I completely agree, I’ve never seen someone learn how to loop a killer so fast” Claudette assures.

“YEAH! and you know how to get out of the killer's arms if you get picked up after you come off the hook” Meg says, she’s putting her head onto Jake’s shoulder and Jake isn’t really one for touching but he leans into it anyway.

“It’s really not that hard,” Laurie confesses with a shy grin.

“Maybe you could teach me one day?” Jake questions.

“Me too!”

“Me as well!”

“I would love that too”

“Sure, that could be useful”

Laurie has a slight blush on her face, she tilts her head down, brushing a piece of her hair behind her ear.

“I would love to teach all of you, maybe tomorrow?” She responds.

Everyone collectively smiles and accepts her offer.

“That reminds me of that one time in the match with the Shape…” Claudette starts to speak but Jake slowly starts to dissociate back into his own thoughts at the sound of his name.

He really doesn’t want to think about him anymore. Laurie was right, all of this worrying is driving himself crazy.

He lets out a sigh.

He’s starting to get that weird feeling again, like something is watching him. He wonders if it’s a sign that he might be getting called into a trial soon.

Things have been so strange lately and Jake wishes he could ask the Entity to explain itself a little more.

But you can’t exactly call it up on the phone and ask it to talk. The Entity speaks to you when it wants to, on it’s own terms.

He can’t exactly sit out in the forest in peace without hearing noises or feeling like someone is out there. 

Even the crows have been acting a little different.

Jake is used to being on the lookout for predators when he was living out in nature before this world and he never lost those senses and he knows something isn’t quite right.

The hairs on the back of his neck start to tingle so he takes this moment to look behind him.

Meg sits up from his movement and looks over at him.

All he sees is a forest filled with red wood trees.

Nothing in sight.

He turns back to the campfire, resting his arms onto his knees. 

He scrunches his face up.

“Are you okay?” Meg whispers to him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I think I need to…” he pauses.

“Be by yourself?” She questions.

Meg is sweet and observant, she’s been around Jake for quite some time now that she knows when he needs to be off on his own. Jake knows that she knows he needs to get away.

“I’ll be back” He responds with a half hearted smile.

This has gone on for too long, he’s been feeling like this for a few weeks now and he’s not in the mood to sit around accepting it for what it is.

He doesn’t like the feelings of him being watched.

Jake’s a hunter and he’s going to put those skills to good use and catch whatever this thing is.

He’s making his way around the log, when Laurie grabs onto his wrist which makes him stop in his tracks.

“Be safe” she whispers to him and smiles.  
He gently twists his hand to hold onto her wrist as well and shakes it, a sign of a promise.

He walks past the logs and finds his way into the forest past the campfire, but he’s making a point to look around the trees as he walks deeper.

He’s searching for something.

Whatever might be out there.

He’s being quiet with his movements, he’s crouching lower to the ground, he’s creeping up behind trees and rocks to see if there is anything lurking about.

He’s not exactly sure what he’s going to do when he catches this thing, if anything at all, but he’ll cross that bridge when he comes to it.

He’s been walking for a few minutes and hasn’t seen anything worth while.

He takes a moment to stop and look around, he’s been going at this for a short time and he hasn’t exactly made any progress in figuring out what this feeling is.

He decides to go back to his hideout and make the most of this venture.

He doesn’t exactly mind getting away from all the chatter at the campfire anyway and getting a few moments to himself before the next trial is always nice.

“You’re not going crazy,” He says to himself, he closes his eyes, dragging a gloved hand down his face.

His hand is still moving along as he rounds the corner of a tall rock.

He slams his body into something in front of him.

“Ouch!” He yells as his hand drops in front of him and he opens his eyes, he’s met with a broad chest dressed in coveralls.

He looks up with wide eyes.

It’s that pale face again, those lifeless eyes staring down at him.

“What th-” Jake starts to quickly back away as fast as he can.

He’s not exactly processing the idea of a Killer being inside the survivors realm right now and he would be lying to himself if he wasn’t terrified.

“H-how???” He yells 

Michael starts moving closer towards him but Jake breaks off into a sprint before he can get any closer.

He promised himself that he wouldn’t stand around petrified the next time he came into contact with Michael, so he’s running away as fast as he can.

Michael is standing there, watching him as he leaves.

Jake is too busy looking over his shoulder, staring wide eyed at the man behind him in disbelief.

He’s running his way back to the campfire, he needs to get out of the forest and back to the others where he knows he’ll be safe.

He turns his head back around to look at the light of the campfire growing near in front of him.

But he’s met with a branch to the face and falls backwards.

The trees are spinning around him as he lays on the ground.

His eyes flutter and roll back into his head as he blacks out.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hnnnnnnnggg” Jake whispers under his breath. He’s squinting his eyes open, trying to gather in his surroundings. 

He lifts his hand up over his face to cover his nose. He’s in a lot of pain from the impact.

His eyes are barely open, but wide enough to see the blood all over his gloved hand.

“Fuck” He huffs out, he’s shifting in his postition.

He notices that he’s sitting perched up against something, he’s not laying on the ground from earlier. 

His vision is still a little blurry, he’s seeing double but he has enough of his senses to know he’s at his sanctuary.

He tilts his head back a little and uses his hand to wipe his nose again. It doesn’t feel like it’s bleeding too much anymore but he can feel a good amount of blood crusted on his face.

He’s trying to recall what happened earlier. His head is still swirling from the hit.

He manages to regain some consciousness and starts taking in his surroundings.

He’s up against the willow tree, his head feels heavy as he looks around him.

The crows are sitting around his legs observing him.

He reaches up and puts his finger out in front of one of them in an attempt to pet one. He’s too far away, so he drops his hand back to the ground.

Jake turns his head over to the left to look at the log sitting near the tree next to him.

He jumps in his skin as he finds the taller man sitting on the broken piece of wood.

He’s looking off into the distance.

Jake pushes himself away from the tree and scrambles on the ground to try and get as far away from him as possible.

The crows screech and all take off in various directions.

Michael looks over in Jake’s direction.

Jake’s arms shoot up in the air to shield himself from a possible attack.

“Please no!” He yells.

He curls himself up in a ball and closes his eyes shut, in an attempt to feign death. 

Jake’s breath is getting ragged and his heart is beating a mile a minute. He’s bracing himself for something but nothing follows.

He slowly opens his eyes and looks over his arms. Michael is sitting comfortably on the log, watching as Jake wigs out.

Jake slowly puts his arms down, a confused look on his face. 

He swallows hard.

“H-h-how did you get here?” Jake manages to get out in between his heavy breathing.

His eyes are fixated on the other man's pale face.

“Are… Are you going to hurt me?” he questions.

Jake puts his arms down and holds onto his ankles, his legs are still up to his chest.

“W-w-what do you want?” he questions Michael again.

He’s getting nothing in response.

Michael is just looking at him.

Jake takes in a deep breath and runs his fingers through his hair.

He’s getting a weary feeling about the whole situation, he’s not exactly sure he’s fully conscious right now.

“Am I dreaming?” He questions himself, he slides his hand down to his forehead.

“Ahhh fuck” He leans over a bit, he’s still feeling dizzy.

Jake looks up at Michael, Michael is still sitting there observing him.

“Is it you?”

“Are you the one whos been out here?” Jake asks.

“I knew.. I knew there was something up, I felt you” Jake’s voice is shaky and confused.

“It’s you who’s been watching me out here, isn’t it?” he says a small hint of anger in his voice.

He knows he’s been getting a lot of weird feelings and knew something was out there but never would he have guessed it was one of the evil beings from the trials.

“Why?”

“What...What do you want from me?” He lifts his arms up in an attempt to make a point.

Michael still sits there in silence.

“Why don’t you talk? Jake scrunches his face up in confusion.

“What are you so afraid of, huh?”

“Say something already!” Jake’s voice is getting louder the more he speaks.

Michael stands up from the log and walks over in Jake’s direction.

Jake’s eyes grow wide for a moment before closing shut and he lifts his arms back up again in self defense.

He’s pushing himself further back as Michael grows closer.

“Please dont” He pleads out, heart still racing in his chest.

He feels something land on his legs.

It’s light but dense enough to have some type of weight.

He slowly opens his eyes back up as he lowers his arms to his sides and looks down at his lap.

His scarf is sitting in front of him, resting comfortably on his knees.

Jake looks up at Michael who is standing above him, black eyes peering down.

“Y-you…” he stutters.

“B-b-but… How?” 

He shakes his head.

“Why?”

He looks down at his scarf and picks it up, he’s inspecting it, he’s distracting himself enough to avoid making eye contact with Michael.

If Jake wasn’t struck with utter confusion right now in another life he would think the gesture is rather endearing.

He lifts the scarf up and gently places it over his head and slips it on. He adjusts it around his neck and looks up at Michael.

“T-t-thanks?” He nervously says, he’s lifting his legs up towards his chest again and holds on to them.

“Is that why you’re here?” He questions.

“To give this back to me?” he lightly tugs on his scarf to make a point.

Michael tilts his head to the side and continues to stare at Jake.

Jake nervously looks away and curls in on himself a little more. Bringing his legs up closer to his chest.

“Why...Why don’t you wanna hurt me?” He asks the other man in confusion.

If anything has been proven this night it’s that this Killer doesn’t seem to want to speak to him nor injure him and it’s baffling Jake.

“Those trials”

He pauses.

“You just let me go”

“Why?”

He knows he’s not going to get an answer but he continues to ask questions anyway.

Michael takes a few steps away and finds himself back onto the log next to Jake, he’s looking off into the distance now.

Jake watches intently as he sits back down.

“Can you really not talk? Or do you just not want to give me any answers?” Jake asks with a pout.

“Who are you even?”

“Is Michael Myers really your name?”

“Did you have a life back on earth?”

Jake is getting a little tired of the lack of communication he’s getting right now.

“Why don’t you kill me?”

“What makes me so special?”

His voice is shaking as he continues to ask the pale faced man his endless stream of questions.

Jake takes in a deep sigh, Michael still isn’t looking at him nor is he speaking.

A crow comes flying down and lands in front of Michael, it bounces its way in his direction. Jake watches intently as Michael reaches down to touch the creature, his movements are fast and clunky.

“That's not how you…” Jake tries to get out, but he’s too late the bird flies away before he can make contact with the taller man.

“Nevermind” Jake adds, he’s knitting his brows together.

Jake decides to start trying to stand up, he feels really weak, he must have hit his head a little harder than he thought.

He uses the tree to keep himself balanced.

Jake looks over at Michael, he’s not looking at him, he seems to be too fixated on whats off in the distance.

“I know you don’t seem to want to talk right now… If you can at all” Jake trails off.

“But is there any way you can give me a sign you understand what I’m saying?”

He pauses.

“...Anything?”

Jake waves his hand a few feet away from his face and watches for any type of response from him, but he gets nothing.

“Is there anything even under that mask, are you even human?” He comments.

Jake is walking closer to Michael, he wonders if he can get away with reaching out and lifting the mask up and over the man's head.

He’s dying to know if there is a living being under there.

But those thoughts get cut short as he hears the whispers of the entity in his ear.

He’s being summoned, a new trial is about to start and he should really get back to the campfire.

“I-I-I have to go now,” Jake says.

Michael doesn’t flinch or move, he’s still looking off ahead of him and Jake is beginning to wonder if he’s even alive right now.

Maybe Laurie is right, maybe there is nothing left of him.

Maybe he’s nothing but a shell of wrong doings, only out to exhaust his prey in these evil games.

Maybe this was all the clarification Jake needed to move forward in his life.

Jake’s head is still spinning from the fall earlier, he winces at the pain.

He starts making his way in the opposite direction, finding his way back into the light.

He stops for a moment, placing his hand on a red wood tree in front of him and looks back at the masked man, he’s still sitting there under the willow tree.

But this time he’s staring in Jake’s direction.

A shiver runs down Jake’s spine.

A million things are running through his head right now, he got hit pretty bad earlier and that sure isn’t helping his wandering thoughts.

He’s not sure how he’s going to make it through the trial he is being summoned to today, he knows he’s not going to be able to focus after all of this.

He lets out a shaky sigh, before turning around and making his way back to the campfire. 

He makes a note to himself to never mention to anyone about what happened that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a very hard time with this chapter ngl.  
> Going from writing pages and pages of running the killer around and generator fixing to this???  
> I might be too hard on myself LOL
> 
> anyways, Thank you guys so much for all the love and comments on this fic so far, it means a lot to me.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super early update, I know!
> 
> I told myself when I finish this one commission I would post chapter 6.
> 
> !!!!!!!!WARNING!!!!!!!  
> in this chapter there is a mild panic attack.  
> So when you come across "--------------------" Thats right before it starts, you can keep scrolling down until you see the lines again and thats when it ends!!
> 
> Be careful folks and I hope you all like this one~~

“Jake!” 

“Hey!” A voice comes from in front of him. 

He shifts in his position; his arms are crossed, legs pushed tightly up to his chest. He’s sitting under the willow tree in his little hideout in the forest.

“Sorry, did I wake you?”

Jake lifts his arms up above his head and stretches for a moment before he starts rubbing his eyes, “I was just resting my eyes” He admits with a half smile.

There's a laugh that follows right after, “I can see that.”

Jake opens his eyes and watches as the blonde haired woman stands in front of him, hands on her hips.

“C’mon, I’ve been teaching everyone how to strike the killer while you were out here and I think it’s your turn now” she offers out one of her hands. Jake looks up at her in confusion.

“Now?” he questions, he was kind of enjoying his time out here, peacefully listening to the sounds of the crows. But he does recall her mentioning yesterday about this.

“Yeah, silly” Her hand is still floating in front of him still, a smile creeping past her lips.

Jake’s eyes move back and forth between Lauries hand and her face. Contemplating whether or not he should take it. He gives her a half grin and places his hand onto hers.

She pulls him up to his feet with ease. He brushes his legs in an attempt to get some of the soil off.

“Was there a trial?” He questions her.

“No, not yet. Which is why I want to show you how to do this before the next one” She takes a few steps away from him and moves out into the open area, hands back on her hips.

“You know, in case you get summoned and want to bring in your new skill sets” She says to him with a click of her tongue and a finger pointed towards him.

Jake lets a small grin creep past his lips, he stands up a little taller and brings his arms out to the side to display himself.

“Give me your best shot” he demands with a huff of a laugh, he starts making his way out from under the tree.

Laurie lifts an eyebrow, a smirk on her face.

“Okay there hot shot” She laughs and walks into his direction.

“You’re going to have to throw me over your shoulder like the killers do” She explains and Jake hums in response.

Jake walks up next to her a few inches apart and Laurie looks away to avoid eye contact.

“Okay so what you’re gonna want to do is when you’re down and the killer reaches to pick you up. You have to time it at the right moment” she says, lightly pushing down on his shoulder a signal for him to bend down.

“Here pretend to throw me over your shoulder”

He bends down at his knees and Laurie drapes herself over him.

“When they are picking you up, around the time they come up from their knee’s you’re gonna wanna…” Jake quickly stands up and Laurie lets out a small shriek. 

“Not so fast!” She says, playfully hitting Jake’s back and Jake can’t help but laugh.

He can’t see her face but he can feel the pout in her voice.

“Anyway, as I was saying….” She jokingly snaps and Jake smiles.

“When you’re getting lifted off the ground around the time you land on their shoulder you do this...”

Laurie punches Jake’s trapezius muscle and Jake lets out a yelp. His arms wrapped around her waist loosens and Laurie jumps back out of his arms.

“Fuck” He says, rubbing the tender spot on his back.

“It’s really not that hard,” she comments with a broad smile and Jake gets the feeling he should get used to that expression for the rest of their time out here.

“I deserved that,” He lets out a laugh and Laurie joins in.

“And where exactly do you hit?” he questions her, she walks up over to him and places her hand on the muscle that triangles his neck and shoulder.

“Anywhere around here” she says to him, dragging her hand along his back.

“Want me to do it again?” She questions him and Jake takes a moment to think about if he wants to be punched again.

“Or have you already had enough?” She eggs him on, it’s playful and Jake shakes his head.

“Hey, I just woke up!” He lightly argues with her.

“What happened to resting your eyes?” she comments and Jake lightly punches her arm.

“I’ll take that as a go for round two?” she laughs, rubbing her bicep.

Jake beckons her over with his hands and she follows, he bends down at his knees and she drapes herself over his shoulder again.

He lifts her up as she lets out a huff of breath.

“Okay do you feel right here” She questions him, placing her hand on his back and pushing a little.

“OUCH, YEAH!!....”

“That's where you hit me” Jake dead pans and Laurie can’t help but giggle.

“You know Dwight didn’t complain as much as you do” She teases and Jake adjusts her on his shoulder, shrugging her up in the air which causes her to let out another yelp.

She counters his actions by hitting him in the same spot she did early and Jake yells 

“FUCK.”

Laurie comes flying off his shoulder as Jake lunges forward, she stumbles a little when she lands but she swiftly makes it out of his grasps.

Jake winces at the pain and goes back to rubbing his back, a small pout on his face.

“I can see how you get out of the killer's arms with that move.”

“It’s really not that hard, it’s mostly just about timing” She says, placing her hands behind her back, she closes her eyes and smiles at him.

Jake can’t help but smile in return.

“Did you wanna give it a shot?” she questions him and Jake’s eyes grow wide at the thought.

She walks over to him.

“I don’t think it’s necessary” He rubs the back of his neck, eyes tightly closed.

“I don't think you can…. AHHHH” before Jake can get another word out he is being thrown over Lauries shoulder without hesitation.

“Don’t think I can, what?” Jake can hear the smirk in her voice and he shakes his head in disbelief. 

“Uhhh….” he pauses.

“Nothing... Absolutely nothing” He lets out a small laugh.

Laurie is full of surprises and Jake is making a note to himself to never underestimate the woman.

“Give it a shot!” She encourages and Jake doesn’t know why he is a bit hesitant about hitting her.

He hovers over the area that he plans on striking. He goes for the hit with little effort and Laurie busts out laughing.

“What was that?!” She adjusts him on her shoulder and Jake scrunches up his face.

“I just…” he stalls.

“Don’t want to hurt me?” she questions him.

“Well, yeah” He nervously laughs, his hand shoots up to run through his hair. He already feels weird hanging off her shoulders let alone wanting to hit her.

“Jake, it’s okay. I can take it” she tries to reassure him, but it isn’t helping that much.

Jake knits his brows together and sucks in a breath. He lifts his arm up and readys himself for the impact.

His actions are cut short when a flock of crows go rushing past them and Laurie screams and they collapse into a heap on the ground.

“Ouch!” Laurie whines.

“Hnnggg...What the fuck was that?” Jake manages to get out.

He’s lying diagonally on top of Laurie, their legs are tangled up together. Jake is trying to pick himself up without hurting her.

“I think we upset your friends” She huffs out a laugh.

“OWW! THAT’S MY LEG” Lauries cries and Jake stops in his tracks, he doesn’t realize his knee is digging into her thigh.

“I’m sorry!” He pleads, he lifts his leg off of her.

“Just roll that way” she advises him, shoving him a little to the side.

“No, your left”

“YOUR OTHER LEFT”

Jake is carefully removing himself from her, he’s crawling his way down her body in an attempt to get free.

He manages to sit back onto his knees, between her legs and looks up and around. He’s trying to figure out why the crows acted in such a way.

“I wonder what that was all about?” Laurie questions, she’s rolling away in an attempt to separate herself from him.

Jake swallows hard, he thinks of the idea of Michael being out here watching them. He’s been out already observing in secret for the past couple of weeks now and Jake isn’t exactly going to put it past him tonight.

“It’s probably nothing” He tries to reassure her, he doesn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. He’s still looking around, wondering if he can see that pale face creeping behind any of the trees.

Jake’s not sure if they are entirely alone right now.

They are sitting on the ground together just taking in their surroundings.

Jake is perched up on his knees, hands placed gently onto his thighs. His eyes dart over in Laurie’s direction.

Laurie sits with her legs spread, hands behind her back. She leans her face onto her shoulder and looks over at Jake and smiles.

Jake nervously smiles back, his mind is a little caught up in the idea of Michael being here watching them tonight.

What if Laurie sees him?

What would she think?

Should I tell her about yesterday?

Laurie interrupts his thoughts with a laugh and says “I guess the crows decided to cancel classes.” 

Jake hums.

“Did you want to get back into it?” He questions her.

“In a minute” She replies, she’s looking up at the moon. It’s shining down on her porcelain skin.

She’s glowing, Jake thinks to himself.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, taking in the quiet scenery.

“Hey, Jake?” 

Jake is adjusting himself, he’s pulling his legs out from under his body and pushing them up to his chest. He finds comfort in sitting closed up like this.

“Hmmm?” he responds.

“You said you had a brother… did you two ever get along?” she asks, she’s still looking up to the sky, her eyes are closed and it looks like she has something to say.

Jake is watching her, admiring how elegant she looks right now.

“Yeah, I...I do” He responds. 

He’s thinking now, Jake isn’t really one to want to acknowledge too much about his life before this one. It’s not exactly something he’s happy about.

But he’s sitting here wondering what his brother might be doing now; Has he taken up a position in his dad's company? Is he still wrapped up in materialistic things? Does he even miss him? 

“Jake?” She’s looking at him now, a questioning look on her face.

“Sorry” He sighs.

“W-we… We got along as best as we could” His voice is quiet, he’s not making eye contact.

It’s silent for a few moments.

“There was this one time” He smiles a little, “We were out in the backyard, we had this really big treehouse. It was mostly mine but I let him hang out there sometimes”

Laurie lets out a small giggle.

“And there was this section across the opening, you know where the ladder meets the house, right across from there was a window. My brother actually broke the window throwing rocks at it once to get my attention” He shakes his head.

“But on the window, there was a chrysalis sitting up on the top of it, just hanging there” He’s talking with his hands, trying to demonstrate what it looked like.

“A chrysalis?” Laurie questions, she’s not exactly sure she knows what he’s talking about.

“Yeah, you know the pupa stage of a caterpillar. When they’re all housed up in their little cocoons” He explains his hands closed tightly together in an attempt to replicate it with his body.

“Ohhhh, okay! Yeah I know what that is” she laughs and waves a hand in front of her.

“We discovered it at the beginning of the summer one year and every day, I mean every day, after piano lessons we would fight our way to the top of the treehouse to watch it”

Laurie tenderly smiles at him.

“We wanted to watch it hatch so bad, we spent hours together up in the tree just watching… waiting. I think that was the one time in our life where we did something without arguing or fighting ” He shakes his head and laughs.

“Did you ever get the chance to see it?” She asks.

“We did, and it was… It was memorising” He’s staring off into the distance, he’s rewatching the memory in his mind.

“It was weird, this thing just showed up randomly. We watched it for weeks. It was slow and steady while it was hatching. But it eventually came out, he sat there for a few minutes before flying away. ” He’s holding his hand and using the other to emerge from it’s grasp and waves his finger in the air.

“Nature is amazing sometimes” Laurie adds “Something so unassuming could blossom into something so beautiful” 

Jake hums in response, he’s taking this moment to think.

“You never said…” Jake trails off.

“Did you have any siblings?” he asks.

Laurie looks the other way, she’s bringing her legs up to her chest to mirror Jake, wrapping her hands around herself.

Her face is scrunched up and Jake gets the feeling he might have asked the wrong question.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” He reassures her, he doesn’t want to pressure her tonight.

“No, I do… I just… I’ve never told anyone this before” She’s still not looking at him, Jake can tell this is personal for her.

“It’s actually something I’ve been wanting to tell you” Her eyes dart over in his direction for a second.

“I… I was the youngest of three” she takes in a breath.

“I had an older brother and sister”

Jake is attentively listening to every word that comes out of her mouth.

“Did you get along with either of them?” He asks her in return.

She has a pained expression on her face. “I didn’t really get the chance to know them.”

Jake gives her a confused look.

She lets out a sigh and runs her hands through her golden locks.

“Most of my friends and family were killed” She says flatly and Jake’s eyes grow wide, he remembers her telling him about her friends but he didn't know about her family as well.

“W-was… Was it all him?” Jake can’t help but ask, he has to know.

Laurie nods in response and Jake lets out a deep sigh.

“All but my parents and…. My brother” Her voice cracks and Jake wishes he had the words to make it all better.

“My parents died in a car crash when I was young,” she explains.

“I was put into foster care at a young age, I don’t exactly remember most of my childhood before I got adopted.”

Jake is trying to piece together the timeline in her story, but he’s coming up short. He’s trying to figure out how Michael could be the one who killed her family when she was young and years later kill her friends.

Jake wonders how old the man actually is.

“Where did your brother end up, did he go with you into foster care?” He questions her and Laurie’s face gives off an expression that Jake wasn’t expecting.

“No… He was… He was locked away” She’s placing her hands on top of her knees, her fingers tapping in a rythme. She’s avoiding eye contact.

“Locked away?” Jake questions her, he’s not exactly sure what that means.

It’s quiet and Jake’s doesn’t know entirely what to make of this conversation.

“Jake….”

He looks over at her, she’s looking down at her hands on her knees.

“Laurie Strode, isn’t my birth name.” She’s knitting her brows together.

“My name is… It’s actually Cynthia” 

She lets out a deep breath.

“Cynthia Myers.” 

\---------------------------------------

There's a long pause after she finishes and Jake’s eyes grow wide. He feels like he’s been hit with a tidal wave. He feels lightheaded from her words.

He’s trying to understand everything but is finding it hard to process. He feels sick.

She’s related to him?

Michael Myers is her brother?

Jake’s chest feels tight and he’s finding it a little hard to breath right now. He’s trying to focus on one thing at a time. He has so many questions for her but he’s unsure of which to ask first.

He’s concentrating and calming himself down, this information has stunted him and his mind is spinning.

He’s running his fingers through his hair, taking in shaky breaths.

“He...He’s your brother?” He can’t believe the words that are coming out of his mouth right now, his eyes are still wide in disbelief.

Laurie nods.

“But… I...He… He killed your friends?” Jake stutters.

“And my sister…” She adds, Jake is still dragging his fingers through his hair. He’s trying to accept the situation.

He can’t seem to control his own breathing. He’s fidgeting in his spot on the ground. He’s running his fingers through his hair to keep himself grounded.

“W-w-why???” Jake asks, his voice is a little louder than normal. He wants answers, nothing is making sense to him.

“I… I don’t know why” She confesses, she’s pulling her legs closer to her chest.

“He just… did it.” Laurie adds, she looks over in Jake’s direction. He has his hands on his head.

“Something happened, Jake. No one knows what, something evil in him materialized that night and he’s never been the same.” She tells him, her voice is shaky and nervous.

“He was six when he killed my older sister”

Jake is confused by his own feelings and filled with anxiety over the information he’s being given tonight.

“He’s killed so many people I love” Laurie confesses, her voice is weak and Jake is trying to focus on something to keep himself afloat.

“B-b-but.. What's the motive?” Jake stutters, “Why kill your own sister?”

Laurie gives him a pained expression, “There is something not right with him, Jake. Ever since he was little. He’s just unstable.”

“And your friends… Them? years later?” Jake’s voice cracks.

“You said he was locked up? Right?” He asks her.

“Yeah, Smiths Grove Sanitarium...They were going to study him” She answers.

“I visited him… Before my parents died… I saw him. I remember” She confesses and Jake looks over in her direction.

“That wasn’t my brother, Jake. It.. It wasn’t him” Her voice is wobbly and she shakes her head.

“That was something entirely different. He didn’t speak, he barely even moved. I didn’t know what I was looking at… F-fuck”

Jake can’t help but watch as Laurie opens up about her past, she pushes her hair back behind her ears and holds onto the back of her neck.

“But he was locked away?” Jake says confused.

“He escaped... He got out…He came for me...And now he’s here” her voice cracks.

“Forever” she’s rocking in her spot. Legs hugged tightly up to her chest, hands still on the back of her neck.

She has a frustrated look on her face and Jake gets the feelings she’s been holding on to this for awhile now.

He feels like he should be comforting her right now, he’s never been good with this type of thing. But he feels it’s what's right.

Jake uncurls himself and crawls his way over to her, he sits comfortably next to her, wrapping his arm around her.

\------------------------------------

“Come here, just breathe” he whispers, placing his arm around her. She sucks in a breath and leans into his touch, Jake can hear her crying.

“God, Jake… He’s here…For the rest of my life?” She questions with a hiccup.

“You don’t know that” He says, he’s trying his best to make her feel better but the situation isn’t exactly exemplary.

“How long have you been here?” She asks him.

“I...Uhhh… I don’t know...I lost track,” He confesses, he’s rubbing her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

“Has anything changed since you’ve been pulled into this world? Have people come and gone?”

He takes his time to think.

“All the killers have been the same since I’ve been here, but Nea showed up a while after I did” He recalls.

“Then you” He adds.

“Do you think we’ll ever get out of this?” she sniffles.

“I’m not sure” He’s trying his best to be honest with her, as much as he wants to give her the answer she wants he knows that it’s not true.

“I’m just so tired, Jake!” She says to him, she’s turning her head into the crook of his neck. Jake lets a pained expression paint across his face.

He remembers the day he broke down after the realization that this is going to be his life now, this is what he’s going to wake up to everyday and go to sleep to every night.

Stuck in a game of predator versus prey.

He remembers this is how he found his little hideout, he needed to be away from everyone at the campfire. Jake can admit that he hasn’t exactly been in tune with his emotions, but they creep up every now and then.

He took off, made his way past the light and into the redwoods. He sat out under the willow tree and cried.

“It’s gonna be okay, Laurie” He whispers to her, he’s dragging his hands through her hair now.

“I haven’t seen the sun in weeks!” She cries out.

“I-I’m sorry” She hiccups.

Jake pushes her away from him and angles her in a way that they are looking at each other, a few inches apart.

“Laurie, it’s okay to have feelings right now” He reassures her.

“What we do?? This life? It’s fucked up” He yells.

She closes her eyes and sucks in a breath.

“We either live or we die trying. But at the end of the day we have each other, we have the campfire, we have moments like these to remind us that we are only human, that we still have feelings and we are nothing like what put us here” Jake says to her.

“Maybe one day we get out? Maybe there is a reasoning behind all of this? I really don’t know.” He confesses with an exasperated look on his face.

“You’re not weak, Laurie”

She opens her eyes back up and looks at Jake. He has a comforting look on his face, he’s trying his best to make her feel a little better.

She’s looking deep into his eyes, before darting down to look at his lips and she starts leaning in towards his face.

Jake catches on to her movement “Laurie… I uhhh” he stutters and quickly pushes away from her.

Laurie’s eyes open wide,“Oh god, I’m so sorry!” She looks the other way in embarrassment.

Jake is a little disoriented right now from her actions.

“I don’t know what I was thinking” She confesses, she’s dragging her hands through her hair and holds them tightly at the back of her neck.

“It’s.. It’s fine… Really” he comforts her, he wasn’t exactly expecting her to try to lean in to kiss him but he doesn’t want to make her feel even worse than she probably already does.

“I was just… I was caught up in everything you were saying… you’re really nice and I don’t want things to be weird between us... I don’t want to get in between you and Meg” She’s stuttering with her words and shaking her head.

“W-w-what???? Me and Meg??” Jake yells in confusion.

“I thought…” Laurie looks over at him, a puzzled look on her face.

“Meg is just my friend” He reminds her.

“But, I've seen the way you look at her??” Laurie says unsurely.

Jake just about chokes on his tongue at her comment, “I-I-It’s not like that!” He’s waving his hands up in front of him.

She tilts her head at him, she’s not really understanding.

“But???” Laurie knits her brows together.

“Meg is a really good friend of mine, nothing more” He manages to get out.

“Are you sure?” she asks him.

“I’m really sure.” he responds with a nervous laugh.

“Claudette?” she questions him.

“Uhhhh”

“Nea?”

Jake is feeling a little nervous right now, “I uhhh… I’m not into…” Jake coughs in response, he’s never exactly been open to people about his orientation or who he likes, so this conversation is a little new to him.

Laurie still has a confused look on her face, though Jake can see the gears turning slowly.

Her eyes open wide,“Oh god.. I’m so sorry!” She pleads, “I didn’t mean to assume!”

Jake lets out a nervous laugh and rubs the back of his neck, “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

“I was just” She laughs “I was so sure of you and Meg.”

She’s not looking at him, Jake can tell she is still embarrassed from the incident.

“She’s just always next you and when you’re not around… You’re all she talks about” 

Jake doesn’t really notice too much of how the others treat him in and out of the campfire; he's comfortable with most of his fellow survivors. 

He’s aware that Meg and Claudette are very touchy with him and as much as that’s not his virtue he knows that it’s their way of showing they care about him.

“She’s just one of my best friends” He says, he’s placing his hand on her shoulder. He’s trying to let her know that she is one of them as well.

Her eyes shoot in his direction and she smiles, “Thanks, Jake” She whispers.

“I’m really sorry about… uhhh” She huffs out a laugh as she looks in the other direction.

“Sorry if I gave the wrong impression” Jake nervously says.

“Oh no, I think I was just... “ She pauses.

“Caught up in the moment” She sighs.

Jake gives her a knowing look, he understands completely. She was vulnerable and he was there at the right time.

“So, you and Dwight?” She questions with an elbow to his side. 

Jake’s eyes go wide and he shakes his head, “A little bit in the beginning, yeah. But nothing ever happened” He’s not quiet pinching his thumb and index finger together in an attempt to show her just how much.

“He’s cute… In a dorky way,” Jake adds and they both can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, I can see that,” She replies, wiping her eye from the laughter.

“Was there ever anyone outside of here? Someone you left behind?” She questions him and Jake’s expressions goes flat.

Laurie gives him a concerned look.

“Well, it was a while ago. Back when I was still in university” He recalls.

Laurie sits up a little straighter, she’s interested in what he’s about to say.

“What was his name?” she asks.

“Torrey” Jake responds.

“He was…”

“Cute?” Laurie teases and Jake can’t help but smile.

“Well, yeah” He laughs out.

“What did he look like?” She grins at him and Jake’s face goes red at the thought.

“He was tall and uhhh.. Had dark hair” Jake is nervous, he’s very to himself most of the time and hasn’t really got the chance to talk about his past crushes like this. So thinking about the man he once had feelings for is bringing up emotions he’s forgot he had.

It’s not a typical conversation around the campfire.

He recalls mentioning to Meg about him, but they were still in the start of getting to know each other and the conversation was cut short at the calls of a new trial.

“What was he like?” She’s pushing her legs tight to her chest, resting her head on her knees, looking in Jake’s direction

“We had a mandatory business class together, he sat in the back of the hall near me. He never really said much if I’m being honest. Our conversations were… Well.. Very limited” He’s rubbing the back of his neck “But he was super kind.”

“A gentle giant!” She comments and Jake nods.

“I caught him looking at me all the time” Jake laughs at the thought, “I think he liked me too.”

“What ever happened?” Laurie questions.

Jake’s face grows sour.

“I dropped out before anything could happen,” He looks down at his hands, He’s playing with his thumbs.

Laurie hums in response.

“Do you ever regret it?”

Jake stops his movements.

“Leaving everything behind?” He questions.

“Yeah” She confirms.

“I think about it sometimes, I wonder what my life would have been if I finished university and went on to be what everyone wanted of me” He sighs.

“But I wouldn’t have been happy with my life if I stayed, I was miserable already. Leaving it and getting away from it all… Not even Torrey could keep me in that life” He’s honest with his words and Laurie nods in response.

“And if I’m being honest” He pauses.

“If I never went out on my own...I know it sounds messed up.. But I never would have ended up here, I never would have met the others, my best friends and I wouldn’t be with you sitting out here, having this conversation. It’s completely fucked up to think I’m actually kind of grateful for being in this world ” He finishes.

“That is a little fucked up” she replies with a laugh, “But I know exactly what you mean.”

“You’re a good person Jake” She smiles at him, he looks up just in time to catch it.

“And I’m glad I met you,” she adds, she puts her hand out.

Jake looks down at her hand for a moment before reaching out and placing his on top of hers.

They hold hands, eyes squinting with smiles on their faces.

Jake likes Laurie a lot and he gets the feeling that tonight was a stepping stone for their friendship. It’s nice to know that there is another survivor in this world he can get along with and speak to comfortably as much as he does Meg.

It’s been unexpected to say the least, Jake had never thought he was ever a redeemable person. He’s had his doubts. He was always seen as the troublemaker growing up.

He was never ideal enough for any of his family members, they made sure he knew it.

But things are different now, he’s not with his family anymore, he’s not by himself in nature.

He’s with a group of misfits, individuals from all over the world, with different stories and different temperaments and if these people like him.

How bad can he be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this sure was a chapter. 
> 
> I know it probably did not seem like much, but there is a reasoning behind everything! :>
> 
> The next update might take a little longer, I have a few left over commissions I need to finish before I can keep writing!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I'll see you all soon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note.
> 
> I've got some pretty discouraging comments about this fic lately so I just want to let everyone know that writing is a hobby for me and this story is for myself. If you don't like the way I go about things or how I write, you by no means have to continue reading it. I think thats just common sense. 
> 
> I'm going to finish this fic the way I want to, regardless of the rude anonymous ppl.
> 
> But anyway, I hope those who do enjoy this story like this chapter~

“COME ON!” Meg yells, she reaches out, she’s grabbing Jake’s hand with a giggle. They collide with each other as Jake grips on to her a little tighter and smiles back.

They are making their way out of the Blood Lodge realm around a few tiles on their way to the exit. Claudette and Laurie are standing near the opening of the gate beckoning the other two over.

A bell chimes behind them. But it’s already too late.

Meg reaches out and grabs Claudette’s hand, Claudette reaches out and holds onto Laurie’s.  
They are all beaming right now, smiles painted across their faces.

They all run to the exit gate holding hands. The trial went extremely well, Laurie and Jake tag teamed and ran the Wraith around for most of the match. Meg took him on for a few minutes so the other two could catch their breath.

He was only able to hook three of them once the whole match, they all worked so well together. They rushed generators and played to perfection.

They’re a few steps away from the fog when Meg comes to a stop and halts everyone, she lets go of Jake and Claudette hands and turns around. She’s placing her hands at the sides of her head, she’s wiggling her fingers and blowing raspberries at the Killer. 

Claudette is giggling at her actions, Laurie has a bewildered look on her face and Jake is staring at Meg with adoration. She’s always been a child at heart and she can only bug her fellow survivors so many times, sometimes the killers can take a little immaturity every now and then.

The Wraith is walking into the gate’s opening, Meg is laughing now as he makes his way over. 

“Go, go, go!!” Meg calls out and she spins around and grabs onto Jake and Claudette again and they all run out into the fog together.

It engulfs them, the mist dancing around their body pouring in and out of their lungs. Jake takes in a deep breath and opens his eyes as he sees the ever growing light of the campfire.

They all emerge from the murk, they still have smiles on their faces, hands held tightly with one another.

“What on earth happened in there? All of you are smiling” Nea asks, a confused look on her face, “And holding hands?” she adds.

“It was amazing!” Meg exclaims, she’s lifting her hands up to her chest and laughs.

“I would say it went really well” Laurie agrees, she looks over at Claudette. Their hands are still entangled and Claudette's smiles in her direction.

“You should have seen everyone!” Meg beams, she’s talking with her hands as she explains what happened in the trial, “I would see Jake and Laurie running him around like a kite, he would try to hit them but he kept missing. Me and Claud were constantly working on generators. Even I got to run him around for awhile”

“Don’t forget about the flashlight!” Laurie reminds her.

“YES! Nea you would not believe it” Meg blurts out, “Claudette got an amazing flashlight save, you should have seen it” Meg walks over to Claudette, she’s placing her hands on both of her biceps and resting her head on her shoulder with a smile.

Claudette's eyes grow wide, a dark tint creeps across her cheeks as she leans into Meg’s touch.

Nea smirks, “You really did it, huh?” she says. She adjusts herself on one of the broken logs sitting near the fire.

“I was so nervous, my hands were sweating. I thought I was going to drop the flashlight” Claudette confesses, she’s looking at her own hands.

“I knew you had it in you” Dwight says, he’s standing up near the log, hands placed firmly on his hips.

“Thanks for always believing in me” Claudette says with a shy smile, Meg is still holding on to her with a grin.

“Oh my gosh, you have to hear about Jake’s shack trick!” Meg exclaims, she’s dragging Claudette over to the logs around the campfire to sit down on.

“Come on Jake! Tell them” Meg demands, she’s sitting down now hands placed gently on top of her thighs.

Jake’s eyes grow wide, he’s trying to recall what moment Meg is referring to. He ran the Wraith around the shack a few times that trial.

“The one at the door?” Jake questions.

“Yeah, the door trick” Meg adds, she’s bouncing a little in her seat with a grin painted across her face.

“Well, when you’re running through the shack, the side the lockers are on…” Jake can’t continue before he is interrupted by Meg.

“You can hide right by the lockers, right when you come through the door!” She finishes for him.

“It was so funny, thanks to our bond I got to feel where Jake was and so I saw him trick the killer into thinking that he was already out the window by the time he got to the door” Meg says with a laugh.

Jake smiles at her, he enjoys when trials go this well, it brings more enjoyable talk around the campfire for the others.

He watches as everyone takes their respective seats around the fire and talk about the exceptionally good trial from today.

Jake’s feeling a little tired from everything and would much rather spend time out on his own. He slowly creeps his way past the others without anyone noticing and finds his way into the trees.

He’s thinking about the pleasing time he had during the trial, It’s been awhile since he came out smiling. 

It’s odd to think that, that’s even possible with what they do. He still got a hook through the chest that match but that doesn’t mean anything when you’re running out the exit gate, hand in hand with your fellow survivors.

He’s walking along the dirt path that he’s gone down so many times before, but something is different when he makes his way past the trees and to the opening.

Jake stops dead in his tracks.

Michael is sitting on the piece of wood underneath the willow tree, he has a knife in his hands and a piece of wood in the other.

He’s carving the stick with his knife.

Jake swallows hard, he’s not exactly sure why Michael would be here. He hasn’t seen him since he gave him back his scarf a few days ago.

He has nothing he needs returned to him, so this visit is perplexing to Jake.

He wonders why he is here.

Jake watches for a few moments as Michael aggressively whips his knife across the stick, shaved pieces of wood go flying off.

Jake decides to take a few steps over in his direction, “Uhhh hey?” He nervously says.

Michael continues his actions of scraping the piece of wood to a point.

“W-w-what are you doing here?” he questions him.

The silence is piercing right now and Jake isn’t exactly sure what to do, he contemplates on going back to the campfire. He’s not too sure he wants to be out here with Michael right now.

“Look, if you have something you want to say to me just say it” Jake’s voice is loud, he’s making a point. He wants to understand so bad.

Michael stops his movements and Jake gulps. 

Michael angles his knife down in his hands, lifts it up and stabs it right next to him into the log.

Jake flinches at the action and jumps back a little.

Michael sits there in silence, hand on the knife that's dug deep into the log.

“I think I’m gonna go” Jake responds, he’s taking a few steps back. He doesn’t fully trust the man seated across from him.

He turns on his heels and starts making his way across the opening, when he hears the screaming of crows and trees rattling.

The crows have been acting up lately and Jake is trying so hard to understand why.

He whips his head around and watches as the crows fly through the trees.

One of them drops to the ground near Michael and Jake’s eyes widen. 

The bird is flopping around in circles on the ground.

It looks hurt.

Jake turns round to head in the direction of the animal sitting at Michael’s feet, he wants to see if it’s okay. 

As Jake makes his way back under the willow tree, he watches as Michael leans down and picks the bird up by its neck.

“STOP!” Jake yells.

Michael drops the bird and looks up at Jake.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU??” Jake shouts out as he makes his way over to the injured creature.

“It’s clearly hurt!” He bends down onto his knees, his hands are hovering where the bird is lying. 

The little creature looks up at him.

He’s gently picking the bird up to cradle in his hands. He has to inspect what might be the issue.

Jake carefully turns the bird over, he’s touching the wing that's held tightly to its body. He’s tracing his fingers along the bone to see if he can feel any fractures. he doesn’t feel any breakage but he can definitely tell it’s at least sprained.

“We have to wrap him up, I think he has a sprain” Jake exclaims, lifting the bird up in his hands.

“There’s a few spider plants back that way, we could use that” Jake looks up at Michael.

“Here, hold him” Jake offers up the bird to Michael. Michael lifts his hands up to mimic Jake and Jake gently places the bird onto his hands.

Michael is staring at him and Jake is too caught up in helping the animal that he doesn’t notice.

He quickly stands up and dusts himself off, he’s walking his way around a few trees to where the bushes are.

The plants are long and gangly and Jake reaches down and plucks off a few.

He hears the crow screech and he looks over his shoulder, Michael is pestering it in his hands.

“DON'T TOUCH IT!” Jake yells back.

He quickly makes his way over to the willow tree. Michael is pulling the wing open and closed in an attempt to inspect it.

“Would you stop that!!” Jake says, he’s getting back on his knees in front of Michael and slaps his hand out of the way.

“You know doing that is only going to worsen the sprain” He scrunches up his face, he pulls Michael's hands down to his own chest to get a better look at the creature and Michael complies.

Jake swallows hard, he didn’t realize how large the man's hands were but seeing how tiny the animal is in comparison is making Jake feel a little flushed.

He quickly slips his hands out of his gloves, placing them neatly at his side. They are too clunky and would probably get in the way of what he needs to do.

Jake takes the plant in his hands and starts to gently wrap it around the bird's humerus bone, near the start of the wing and neck.

“Hold this” He demands and Michael listens, he holds the end of the plant near the base of the bird's head.

Jake moves it back from behind the wing over to the underside, He’s trying to make an X with the plant. He’s making sure not to tighten it too much, he just wants to isolate the wing so he won’t open it.

Jake wraps the plant around one more time before tying it off at the shoulder.

“Here, lift him up like this” Jake offers, he’s adjusting the bird in Michael's hands to sit more upright.

The crow lets out a little screech at the touch, “Shhhh It’s okay” he whispers. “We’re just trying to help you.”

Jake looks up at Michael for a moment, he’s looking directly at him.

Jake immediately darts his eyes back to the bird. His heart is hammering in his chest. He didn’t realize how close they’ve gotten since all of this happened.

Jake has been so caught up in helping the animal that he barely even noticed that he’s been existing next to one of the Killers of the entity's realm.

He lets out a nervous cough.

Jake takes the other piece of plant and drapes it over the existing knot, and runs it diagonally across the back of the bird, and pulls it under the armpit of the neighboring wing. 

He loops it for as long as the plant takes him and then ties it to the already existing knot on the sprained wing.

He finishes casting him.

“If I knew when days start and end, I would say he’ll be better in the next 6 to 8 weeks” Jake nervously says, he’s sitting back onto his knees, hands placed gently on his thighs.

Michael is inspecting the bird in his hands, he’s looking at it from all angles. He starts to pick at the mock bandage to see if it’s tight enough.

“Be gentle!” Jake lightly yells.

“If that’s even possible for someone like you” He trails off, he’s rubbing the back of his neck now.

The bird is sitting comfortably on Michael, he’s placing his hands down onto his lap and gently starts to pet the crow.

Jake is feeling a little nervous right now, he’s not exactly sure what to do or say. 

He has some lingering questions that he wants to ask, he’s not sure if it's the right time. But he decides to go for it anyway.

“Did you really do it?” Jake asks.

“Kill all of those people?” he’s not looking at Michael, Jake knows the man doesn’t talk but he still hopes that he’ll get something in return.

“She said you killed your older sister, back when you were just a kid” Jake’s playing with his own hands, it’s rare they are ever out of their gloves and he’s taking the moment to feel his own skin.

It’s silent.

Jake looks up at Michael, he’s still petting the bird in his lap. Dark black eyes fixated on the raven beneath him.

Jake is a little impressed that a man so aggressive can actually find some bit of humanity to be as gentle as he’s being right now.

“What happened, what came over you?” Jake questions him.

He pouts at the lack of responses.

“Laurie told me…” Michael’s actions stop at the name which causes Jake to pause.

He looks up at Jake and Jake’s eyes grow wide, he gets an unnerving feeling that he maybe shouldn’t have mentioned her.

Michael places the bird down to his left onto the log. The bird bounces a few times before finding a comfortable spot.

Michael stands up at a fast pace and Jake falls back onto his butt, eyes closed shut, a hand coming up into the air to protect himself.

Michael steps off to the left and makes his way around the log.

Jake’s eyes open, his hand falls down as he watches Michael walk away. Jake is wondering if it’s what he said that caused this reaction.

Jake looks over at the log in front of him, the bird is sitting comfortably on top, but he notices the knife is still lodged into the piece of wood.

“H-H-HEY, WAIT!” he calls out.

Jake scrambles to his feet.

“YOU FORGOT YOUR KNIFE!” He yells off, Michael stops in his tracks as Jake reaches down and starts to try to pull the knife out of the log. It’s wedged in there pretty hard.

He manages to yank it out and jogs his way over to Michael. Michael turns around and looks down at the knife in Jake’s hand.

Jake is wondering why on earth he would chase down the Killer to hand him his weapon back, but he’s already caught up in the moment that he can’t go back now.

He takes in a shaky breath.

Jake spins the knife around so the handle is facing Michael, Michael reaches out and places his hand over top of Jake’s and holds onto the knife.

His hand lingers on top of Jake’s for a few seconds long before his fingertips drag across the back of Jake's hand.

He pulls the knife away in a swift motion and places it at his side. 

Jake looks up.

They stare at each other for a few moments before Michael turns around and walks off deeper into the forest.

Jake swallows hard as he watches Michael find his way off into the unknown. He still wonders how he gets to this realm. Jake thinks to himself that maybe one day he should go searching for the answers.

He turns back around and starts making his way to the injured crow under the willow tree.

Jake flexes his hand.

He can still feel the touch burned onto his skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it was a little on the short side, but we sure got some jayers interaction. :>
> 
> are yall feeling the slowburn yet??? LOL
> 
> I promise next chapter will be longer and there will be things to look forward to!
> 
> Thanks for reading, see yall on the flip side!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew this chapter was going to take awhile to get out there, it's another trial and trials take forever to write.
> 
> More establishing relationships and bonding between Jake and his fellow survivors.
> 
> Oh yeah and some rlly good jayers content i think yall might enjoy.
> 
> I hope you all like this one :>

The black cloud covers his entire body, it’s swirling around him. He’s taking in a deep breath as his eyes open.  
  
He’s in a rickety old building, being held together by white planks. He’s facing a small cut out window on the length of the wall in front of him.  
  
Jake looks down at his hands, it’s always a strange feeling being put into a new trial. He almost has to remind himself that this is all real and not a horrible dream.  
  
He notices the broken off tracks underneath his feet dug deep into the dirt, big enough that it would fit a coal wagon back in the day.  
  
They’re in the suffocation pit of the Macmillan estate, Jake could recognize this building anywhere.  
  
He can feel the bond of another survivor with him, he turns around and watches as Meg peacefully makes her way around the corner of one of the openings of the building.  
  
Jake can recall their always being two lockers sitting comfortably at the entrance.  
  
“Fancy meeting you here” Meg giggles and Jake walks his way over to her.  
  
“Fancy indeed” Jake replies, they are making their way over to the right side of the building, an open window resides in front of an unopened chest.  
  
Jake walks his way up the little ramp, he peeks out the window to see if he can see anything.  
  
He doesn’t notice something worthwhile, just a few rocks and trees.  
  
“Oh, the basement is in here” Meg comments, Jake looks over and watches as she disappears out of his vision down into the tunnel of the mines.  
  
“Where are you going?” Jake questions her.  
  
“I want some loot too” her voice calls out from underneath him and Jake shakes his head with a smile.  
  
He bends down and lifts up the top of the chest, it’s always filled with junk but there is always at least one salvageable item in there.  
  
His hand is digging around for something useful, there are rags and scap shards scattered around the striped trunk.  
  
The noise of scratching metal on wood fills the air. It’s typical and he’s heard it many times before.  
  
He pulls out a bent, dull key. It’s long and has three lined up holes at the end. Jake wonders if this key could come into good use this match, he’ll have to hold on to it and see.  
  
“What did you end up finding?” A voice calls from under him, Jake stands back up and watches as Meg comes out of the basement.  
  
“Just a dull key” He says, he’s swinging it back and forth between his fingers.  
  
“I see you found a flashlight,” he adds.  
  
“I sure did!” Meg exclaims, she’s clicking the flashlight on and putting it under her chin. The light beams in an earrie fashion under her face.  
  
“I wonder if I’m scary enough to trick the saboteur into trading with me?” She says in a childish voice, something similar to if you were telling ghost stories in the middle of the night around a campfire.  
  
Jake shakes his head and laughs, “If you want anything of mine you better make sure there is battery juice left in that thing.”  
  
“My bad” Meg immediately clicks it off and giggles. She walks her way up the little ramp and stands next to Jake with her hand out in front of her, the item sitting comfortably in her hand.  
  
Jake takes the utility flashlight from her and gently places the key onto her open palm.  
  
“I have a good feeling about this,” Meg says as Jake turns to his left and starts crawling his way out of the little window.  
  
“A good feeling about what?” He asks her, his foot gets caught a little on the panel and he stumbles his way out, he catches himself before he falls.  
  
Meg can’t help but laugh and Jake turns around and gives her a pout.  
  
“Just about right now!” Meg responds as she carefully follows behind him, stepping out of the window with ease.  
  
“The match just started though?” Jake asks in a confused tone.  
  
“C’mon Jake don’t you ever get that? A premonition of some sort, but a good premonition?” She asks him, they are making their way past a few boxes and big wooden spools towards a generator tucked neatly at the front of the building.  
  
Jake notices that there is a pallet just off to his left as he makes his way over to the generator.  
  
They walk over to the broken machine and kneel down in front of it, they start inspecting what might be wrong with it.  
  
“Do you ever wonder what all of these do?” Meg questions, she’s lifting up some of the black and yellow wires that are dangling near the generator.  
  
Jake isn’t quite sure what they do and if they have ever done anything to begin with, he can’t recall using them in any of the times he’s fixed a generator.  
  
“I don’t think they really serve a purpose in anything” Jake says, a questioning look on his face.  
  
Meg shrugs and starts digging her hands into the generator, she’s getting a head start and Jake is feeling a little distracted at the sense of another survivor in the area.  
  
Jake stands up from his position and walks over to the pallet, he looks over and sees Dwight off in the distance, he’s running around a few rocks.  
  
“What do you see?” Meg questions him, she’s still mindlessly putting the generator back together.  
  
“It’s Dwight, he’s injured” Jake replies.  
  
“I think he’s gonna go down, I’m going to try to save him,” Jake adds, he’s starting to run his way over in Dwight's direction.  
  
“Be careful!” Meg yells off into the distance.  
  
Jake runs through another pallet sitting in between one of the many piles of boxes scattered around the trial. He watches as Dwight runs back and forth by the rock.  
  
The killer swings through the pallet between the rocks and Jake can see that it’s Michael and he is starting to feel a little nervous all of a sudden.  
  
He thinks about when they were out in the forest together, patching up one of the crows. They were working together as if they weren’t enemies, as if they knew each other, something along the lines of friends.  
  
Jake swallows at the thought, is it possible for a survivor and killer to get along like they have.  
  
Jake’s thoughts get cut short as he watches Dwight fall to the ground in the middle of the rocks, he’s under a pallet and Jake doesn’t think he has enough time to run over there and drop it on Michael.  
  
He has a flashlight already and Jake has always been rather good with one, Nea taught him a few things when it comes to getting the right angle.  
  
He runs his way over to his fallen survivor and watches as Michael leans down and starts picking him up, eventually throwing Dwight over his shoulder.  
  
Michael is looking directly at Jake as he picks Dwight up and Jake’s heart is racing.  
  
He lines himself up perfectly and goes to turn on his flashlight but he is feeling a little anxious right now and he fumbles with the item in his hands and almost drops it.  
  
He finally manages to turn it on and point it in the killer's direction but the moment has long passed and Michael is already turning around and walking over to the hook near the exit gate.  
  
Jake is feeling a little embarrassed right now, he’s not exactly sure why he is becoming more and more skittish around Michael, it’s starting to affect his time in trials.  
  
Jake quickly makes his way over to one of the tall rocks and crouches around it.  
  
Michael throws Dwight onto the rotten meat hook and Dwight lets out a pained cry, Jake winces at the sound.  
  
It’s always an awful feeling listening to your friends scream out in agony and Jake wishes he could erase each one from his memory.  
  
Jake peaks over the side of the rock and Michael turns around, Jake retreats and wonders how this trial is going to go.  
  
He has a track record of escaping each one he gets with Michael and it’s making Jake feel a little hopeful that he might not have to deal with the feeling of being sacrificed this match.  
  
It’s never a good feeling, Dwight had described it perfectly around the time when Jake first got to this world.  
  
It feels like your limbs are all tied on separate strings and you’re being pulled at the same time, you’re being ripped apart as your body is caught up in flames.  
  
It’s a painful experience and Jake hates the feeling, he wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemy.  
  
Jake watches as Michael makes his way in between the rocks and stops, he’s looking around as almost if trying to decide where he wants to go.  
  
The generator that Meg was on springs to life and Michael walks off into the distance where she was and Jake takes the moment to quickly run over to Dwight.  
  
“Jake?”  
  
“Yeah it’s me”  
  
Jake reaches up and pulls him off of the hook and Dwight lets out a huff of breath. Jake realizes Dwight asked the entity if he could bring in the wills to stop any grunts of pain that Jake had taught him.  
  
He would be lying to himself if it didn’t make him feel good when his fellow survivors use the skills he’s taught them.  
  
“He got my chest really bad” Dwight whispers and Jake pushes him to lean back, there is blood stained all over his white button up.  
  
A circle of blood already gashed through his chest from the hook and a stream of blood drips through a clean cut across his chest, from his right shoulder to his left pec.  
  
“He did get you good, huh” Jake marvels, he’s placing his free hand over top of Dwight's cuts and watches as the little mist emerges from his hands and starts sealing up his wound.  
  
“God, there is so much blood” Dwight looks a little queasy and Jake feels bad.  
  
Blood is still dripping down his shirt and Jake is realizing just how desensitized he has become to it. He’s been doing this for quite sometime now and even before he ended up in this realm he was never afraid of losing a few drops.  
  
Dwight on the other hand is still being affected by some of the downfalls of being here.  
  
“I’m almost done here, just don’t look” Jake comforts and Dwight looks the other way, he seems to always have a hard time when the cuts are on his own body.  
  
Dwight has helped patch up Jake numerous times before and never flinched once. It seems to be when the blood is his own is when he starts to feel a little sick.  
  
“There, you’re good now,” Jake exclaims.  
  
Dwight looks down at his chest and pulls at his shirt, there is a massive cut across it and drying blood all over.  
  
“When will I ever get used to this?” He sorrowfully questions, a visible pout across his face.  
Jake half heatedly smiles at him, he doesn't have the answers Dwight wants but he can at least try to reassure him.  
  
“I’m sure it’ll happen some day, you’ve already overcome so many other things. I wouldn’t sweat it” he says.  
  
Dwight looks up at Jake, his face is still scrunched up as he drops his shirt back to his chest.  
  
“Yeah, but I feel like I need to set an example,” Dwight angrily says.  
  
“I feel like I need to be better than I actually am!” he continues, he walks over to the tree and places his forehead onto it.  
  
He’s frustrated and Jake can tell.  
  
“What makes you think that, that’s bad?” Jake questions.  
  
“I feel like people rely on me, I need to help guide the others,” Dwight says, his hands are dangling at his sides.  
  
“I was the first one to be in this stupid world, I’ve been here the longest and I feel like I should be better at trials. I should know how to run the killer around for more than a few seconds, I should know better strategies when it comes to saving off hooks in crucial moments.”  
  
Dwight takes in a deep sigh.  
  
“I still even have a hard time looking at blood,” he finishes.  
  
Jake has a pained expression on his face, he wishes he wasn’t so hard on himself.  
  
“Dwight, you don’t have to be perfect at everything. You’re only human.” Jake comforts he’s walking over to him. He’s not exactly sure what he needs right now.  
  
“I’m always getting found first, I blow up generators every chance I get and I get so nervous sometimes I feel like throwing up,” Dwight exhales as he slams his fist onto the tree.  
  
“We all play a different game when we’re in here, some of us are better at certain things than others. So what if you blow up generators every now and then? Heck I couldn't even get a flashlight save a few moments ago,” Jake says, his voice is a little louder than normal to make a point.  
  
He’s walking over to the tree now, placing a hand on Dwight's shoulder.  
  
“You’re always there for us, helping guide us through this shitty world. You know more about this place than some of us ever will,” Jake reassures him.  
  
“It doesn’t matter that Laurie is a good runner or that Claudette is good at hiding, what matters is that you do your best. You know more than you think, Dwight” Jake continues.  
  


“I look up to you, I know everyone else in this trial right now and those sitting back at the campfire would agree with me. You’re like… Like our leader!” he finishes.  
  
“A pretty nervous leader” Dwight retaliates.  
  
Jake scrunches up his face at the comment and shakes Dwight’s shoulder a little, “This place is fucked up and the last thing I think we should do is start doubting ourselves. I feel like that’s what the Entity wants.”  
  
Dwight lifts his head off the tree and looks over at Jake, he has an expression on his face that Jake can’t exactly read.  
  
“It’s always nice hearing you talk,” Dwight comments and Jake’s eyes grow wide.  
  
“I… Uhhh…” Jake is unsure of what to say.  
  
“You have a lot of great things to say” Dwight adds with a smile, he’s placing his hand on top of Jake’s that still rests on his shoulder.  
  
Jake nervously smiles back at him.  
  
A generator springs to life and Meg’s scream can be heard off in the distance, it sounds like she’s being hooked.  
  
Jake drops his hand off of Dwight’s shoulder and looks off in the distance.  
  
“I should go get her, you go find another generator to work on.” Dwight demands and Jake complies.  
  
They go their separate ways, Dwight walks over to the right side of the map. They can feel Meg’s hook over in that direction.  
  
Jake makes his way past the tall rocks sitting in the corner, he passes the wall near the center of the realm.  
  
He looks at the flashlight in his hands, he turns it on and off. He’s thinking about earlier when he was trying to blind Michael.  
  
Jake is confused as to why he choked so hard, he doesn’t know why Michael makes him act that way.  
  
There’s a little piece of him that believes he shouldn’t go for moves like that because Michael has a tendency to let him and go, Jake almost feels like it would be rude to play in such a way if he’s getting a free pass.  
  
He’s still baffled by the whole situation and his own feelings.  
  
He’s willing to make questionable decisions in a trial at the expense of his teammates in order to not disrespect the killer.  
  
He’s still caught up in what kind of game Michael is playing with him, if any at all.  
  
His thoughts are cut short when he hears Dwight cry off in the distance.  
  
He can sense what's going on.  
  
Meg is still on the hook.  
  
Dwight got pulled off from trying to get her.  
  
Jake takes in a deep sigh as he starts making his way over in that direction of the action, he starts walking his way to a few tiles.  
  
There’s a jungle gym with a generator sitting comfortably against a wall, Jake wakes past it, he’s dragging his finger along the cool metal as he passes it.  
  
He sees a brick wall with an open window and decides to slowly crawl his way through it, he knows Meg is near.  
  
He can hear Dwight being hooked, he senses that he’s not too far away from where Meg is. So Jake thinks he should really hurry up and get Meg before Michael finds his way back to her hook.  
  
He runs his way past a locker on the inside of a long walled jungle gym, he rounds the corner of the T wall and finds his teammate hanging next to a pile of extremely large logs stacked on top of each other.  
  
Meg is dangling there, the entity is almost fully summoned and Jake makes his way over to her just in time.  
  
Without hesitation he pulls her up and over the hook, she lands firmly on her feet. They can hear the heartbeat growing closer.  
  
“We should split. I’ll get his attention. Go! Get out of here!” Jake exclaims, he’s pushing Meg away and she takes off in a sprint.  
  
She doesn’t say anything but lets out a few cries and Jake can only hope that Michael doesn’t follow her footprints.  
  
His heart is beginning to race and he can see Michael walking his way over in his direction.  
  
Jake starts walking backwards, he’s not sure if Michael is going to even attempt to chase him. But he is going to do everything in his power to make sure he does.  
  
Michael is looking off in the distance to where Meg went, so Jake starts turning his flashlight on and off.  
  
“Hey!! Come on” He exclaims.  
  
Michael turns off in the direction of Meg and Jake scrunches up his face in disbelief.  
  
“OVER HERE!” Jake shouts, he’s following Michael like a lost puppy now.  
  
“COME CHASE ME!” he yells, he desperately is trying to get Michael to leave Meg alone.  
  
He’s not exactly sure what it is about her but killers tend to focus on her when she’s off hook and Jake isn’t sure if the entity allowed her to use the skill set of striking the killer.  
  
Jake clicks his flashlight a few more times in Michael's direction.  
  
“YOU PUSSY!”  
  
Michael pauses dead in his tracks and Jake halts to a stop with wide eyes.  
  
That might have been the right thing to say to get his attention, but Jake wonders if he’s going to pay the price for it.  
  
Michael turns around and starts making his way over in Jake's direction and Jake quickly bee lines for the jungle gym in the center of the map.

He runs around a section of the tile with two walls and a pallet sitting in the center. Jake pauses at the pallet as Michael rounds the corner.  
  
Michael takes a step back and Jake keeps on running, he finds joy in watching the killers respect pallets like that.  
  
He runs off to the right and vaults an open window on a long L wall, he looks over his shoulder and watches as Michael takes the long way around.  
  
He makes his way further down the realm, he sees a set of L and T walls and decides to run this tile on Michael.  
  
Just as Jake rounds the corner he collides with a fellow survivor.  
  
It’s Laurie.  
  
“Oh god, I’m sorry!” Laurie says, she’s placing her hands on Jake’s shoulders and smiles.  
  
“Now's not the time, he’s right…” Jake gets cut off as Michael rounds the corner and swings.  
  
They both manage to dodge the hit.  
  
Michael starts inspecting his knife as the two survivors split up.  
  
He stops chasing Jake to focus on Laurie.  
  
Laurie is a good runner and Jake knows she can keep him busy long enough they can finish the last three generators.  
  
Jake can hear Dwight getting sacrificed and he winces, he guesses Meg never got the chance to save him.  
  
He’ll have to make a note of apologizing to Dwight when he gets out of this trial.  
  
Jake looks off ahead and can see a pole with flashing lights off in the distance so he runs his way over.  
  
It’s tucked in the corner, there are more piles of boxes and wooden spools scattered around, a totem sits comfortably in between a few of them.  
  
Jake debates on if he wants to break the pile of bones and sticks but he figures getting generators done is far more important.  
  
He finds his way over to the generator and kneels down in front of it, it looks like he has to connect the generator to the control panel.  
  
Jake can hear the faint beat of his heart, he looks over to his left and he can see Laurie and Micheal off in the distance.  
  
She’s running him up a hill and falling to the ground with perfect balance and sprints off into the shack.  
  
Jake looks over at the generator and opens up the control panel, there is a red panel with a few screws on it, Jake recalls it being the generator interlock.  
  
He pushes the panel up to unlock it, Jake digs inside to find the cord to connect the generator to the control panel and plugs it into the four prong outlet.  
  
He opens the control panel and checks the voltage box to see what kind of levels this generator requires.  
  
He grabs the red wire and goes to connect it to the double 30 voltage clips.  
  
He hears a loud bang and looks off to his left and notices Laurie running Michael around the shack.  
  
It looks like she dropped the pallet onto him.  
  
He turns back to the generator and mindlessly places the red wire onto the 40 voltage clip and the generator blows up in his face.  
  
Jake covers his face as sparks go flying in front of him, he stands up and steps away.  
  
The generator is smoking a little and he waves his hand in front of him and pouts.  
  
He looks back over and watches as Laurie continues to mind game Michael around the broken building.  
  
She’s limping and Jake can tell that she is injured.  
  
She’s running her way out the back door and around the corner to the window but her actions are cut short as Michael grabs her through the window and throws her over his shoulder.  
  
Jake’s eyes grow wide, he can see a hook right in front of him so he slowly creeps his way behind the boxes near the generator.  
  
Michael walks over to the hook and throws Laurie on to the piece of metal.  
  
Laurie lets out a long scream and holds onto the hook piercing her chest, she drops her head and lets her arms fall at her sides.  
  
Michael is just standing in front of her and Jake is unsure of what to do.  
  
He lifts his knife up and slashes her across the chest, Laurie lets out another cry. He shakes his knife off from the blood and continues to stand in front of her.  
  
“FUCK YOU!” Laurie screams, she reaches up and starts trying to pull herself off the hook.  
  
Michael lifts his knife up again and cuts her across the leg, she lets out yet another cry.  
  
As Michael is adjusting the knife in his hands Laurie comes leaping off the hook and Jake can’t believe what he just witnessed.  
  
It’s rare he ever sees any of his fellow survivors manage to get themselves off the hook like that, the chances are very slim.  
  
Laurie goes running over to the pallet near Jake and he crouches down a little lower near the wooden boxes and spools.  
  
She throws the pallet down and hits Michael with it, Michael lets out a groan and Jake flushes at the sound.  
  
He’s only ever heard the man breathing, never has he made any other kind of noise and Jake feels his heart beat a little faster at the idea that maybe the man could actually one day say something.  
  
He clearly has a voice and Jake wonders if he’ll actually use it.  
  
Michael kicks the pallet to pieces and follows Laurie around the scattered cartons and back into the shack.  
  
Jake stands up and watches them both leave.  
  
Laurie jumps into a locker and Michael stands firmly outside of it for a moment. He slams it open and pulls her out and throws her back over his shoulder.  
  
She strikes him at his back and shoulder and flies out of his arms.  
  
Michael takes a moment to rub his shoulder and Laurie goes running out of the shack and off into the distance.  
  
Michael continues to follow her.  
  
Jake slowly walks his way back to the generator and tries to quickly finish it up.  
  
He checks the red cord to see if it’s a hot wire and connects it to the 30 voltage clip on top, it fits neatly inside.  
  
He starts connecting the respected cords to their proper voltage clips and in no time the generator is moving.  
  
The cylinders are pumping near the top of the generator as Jake continues working on the control panel.  
  
He finishes connecting the wires and closes the box, finds the rip cord and pulls down hard.  
  
Inunison two generators explode to life.  
  
There’s only one generator left and Jake is feeling hopeful that maybe the three of them can all get out.  
  
He starts running his way over to the shack, he recalls seeing a generator in there when he was watching Michael chase Laurie around.  
  
He can see it through the window, the red metal top and pole.  
  
Jake walks over to the window and crawls through it, landing back on his feet with ease.  
  
He can feel another survivor in the area, he knows Laurie is long gone with Michael so it must be Meg.  
  
She’s walking on the outside of the shack and Jake figures he should go collect her so they can work on the last generator together.  
  
He makes his way out the front door of the shack, he can see her off in the distance behind a few trees.  
  
She’s crouched down and Jake wonders what she is up to.  
  
“Fancy meeting you here” He says and Meg gasps and jumps, falling backwards onto her butt.  
  
“Oh my god!” She yells out. She lays back on her elbows and leans her head back to look over in Jake’s direction.  
  
“Why do you always do that?” She says with a pout.  
  
“Now I have to try to finish breaking this totem,” she adds.  
  
Jake shrugs and laughs, “Totems are the last thing we should be worried about right now. C’mon there is a generator in the shack we should start” He tells her.  
  
“Generators???” She says, blowing a raspberry in Jake’s direction.  
  
“Yeah?? Laurie’s running the Shape around right now. We should really get going” Jake says with a questioning look on his face.  
  
Meg jumps to her feet at an extremely fast pace and places her hands on her hips.  
  
“Who needs to finish generators when you have this!” She coo’s, she’s lifting her hand up in front of Jake’s face and dangles the dull key in front of him.  
  
Jake’s eyes grow wide at the sight.  
  
“So, we should really find Laurie and get the heck out of here” Meg adds with a smile.  
  
“We should probably find hatch first and then find Laurie, she still has another hook. So we should all make it out just fine,” Jake comments.  
  
He’s feeling really good about this match right now, there won’t be any guilt if he’s the only one getting out.  
  
He played well given the circumstances and helped his teammates as best as he could.  
  
“Lets go, lets go!” Meg exclaims, she’s pulling Jake towards the corner of the map to check between the worn out excavator tires.  
  
Jake lets himself get dragged around the corners of the map to see if hatch has spawned near.  
  
“Did you see it anywhere you were?” Meg questions, hand still holding onto Jake’s as they make their way behind the shack.  
  
Jake hums, he’s trying to recall.  
  
“I can’t say I was even paying attention to where hatch was if I’m being honest with you.” He nervously laughs and rubs the back of his neck.  
  
“That’s alright, we’ll find it. I know it’s in this area!” She says a little skip to her step.  
  
Meg has been a little chipper this match and Jake can’t say he is confused at it, but it’s always nice to see her content when things are going her way.  
  
“Did you wanna maybe split up in the area and meet back up somewhere?” Jake questions her.  
  
“No, I wanna stay with you. It feels like we haven't been able to hang out in forever.” She says a little louder than normal, she’s looking back at Jake with a wide grin on her face.  
  
Jake smiles back, they haven’t exactly been spending much time together around the campfire. When Jake isn’t off in the forest, he’s in a trial with the others and he and Meg haven't had a one on one in a while now.  
  
He loves being with Meg, but sometimes she thinks more with her heart and not her head.  
  
“At least you’ve been getting to spend time with Claudette,” Jake says with a smirk in his voice.  
  
“I-I-I…uhhh.. So what?” Meg stutters a little and Jake is feeling extremely smug right now.  
  
“I just thought you might be smitten about that? But if I’m wrong?” Jake trails off, he’s watching Meg intentivaly.  
  
He gets the feeling that Meg might fancy the botanist.  
  
Meg and Claudette are very touchy people and when you put them together in a room the physical contact doesn’t stop.  
  
They make their way around the corner of the map, looking around scattered crates all over the ground.  
  
“Megs?”  
  
Meg pouts and looks over her shoulder.  
  
“I hate you” She says flatly and Jake busts out laughing.  
  
“Well, don’t be so obvious then,” He chuckles.  
  
“AM NOT!” She yells back. She turns her head back around. Jake figures he should probably drop the conversation.  
  
Meg is in a good mood and he doesn’t want to bug it out of her.  
  
They are walking past the giant pile of logs stacked on top of each other, Jake didn’t notice how big they are until now.  
  
They pass a tiny little saw table with two pieces of wood sitting next to it and Jake gently taps the serrated piece of metal and watches it spin.  
  
“Did we check the hill?” Jake questions her.  
  
“I don’t think so,” she responds.  
  
She pulls his arm and it catches Jake off guard and he stumbles his way in her direction.  
  
They make their way to the opening of the hill and Meg squeals in excitement.  
  
“IT’S HERE!” She’s letting go of Jake’s hand and runs up the hill, she stomps one foot on top of it and puts her hands on her hips and looks over in Jake’s direction.  
  
Jake shakes his head at her and smiles, “I’m going to go find Laurie, you stay here and wait” Jake demands and Meg nods.  
  
She bends down and slips the key into the lock and turns it, Jake can hear it click.  
  
“I’ll be ready,” Meg responds, she’s bent at the knees sitting over the hatch, hand hovering over the handle to pull it open.  
  
Jake starts running his way down the hill and turns off to the right, he’s making his way into the jungle gyms.  
  
He can feel Laurie's presence in the area, she’s not too far away.  
  
Jake’s heart starts to beat a little faster as he goes deeper into the realm. He comes to Z wall and Laurie comes flying through the window and it startles Jake.  
  
He scrambles to remember why he was looking for her.  
  
“LAURIE, HEAD TO THE HILL!” Jake yells, he’s beckoning her over and pointing in the direction he came from.  
  
“THE HILL?” Laurie yells back, she’s following Jake through the L and T walls now.  
  
Michael takes a swing at Laurie but misses as she vaults one of the brick tile dividers.  
  
“Nice try!” She eggs Michael on and despite Michael having no expression with that dead pan mask, Jake can see the pure disdain he has right now.  
  
Jake waits for Laurie to catch up with him as Michael steps over the window, they start making their way over to the hill and Meg is yelling, “SHOULD I OPEN IT?”  
  
“OPEN IT!” Jake yells.  
  
He watches as Meg reaches down and pulls the handle, lifting up the wooden cover and jumps into the dark abyss.  
  
Jake runs up the hill and turns around, Michael has caught up pretty fast.  
  
Jake quickly turns back around and goes down towards Laurie and watches as Michael lifts up his knife in the air, “LOOK OUT!” Jake screams, he’s pushing Laurie out of the way and Laurie falls onto her knees.  
  
Michael swings down and gets a clean cut across Jake’s face, a firm line from his left cheek bone down through the corner of his lip to his chin.  
  
“FUCK” Jake yells, he’s holding his face in pain.  
  
Him and Laurie stumble their way up the hill and without question Laurie jumps down the pitch black hole.  
  
Jake hesitates for a moment, he turns around to look at Michael.  
  
Michael is just standing there, he’s looking down at his hands. He’s holding them in such a way that confuses Jake.  
  
Jake watches Michael for a few more moments before Michael looks up at him and Jake lets out a gasp.  
  
He quickly turns around and jumps down into the entity's hands.  
  
He feels like he’s falling, it’s dizzying and exhilarating at the same time. He can feel the gash across his face subside and he takes in a deep breath.  
  
He emerges from the fog to a campfire of conversing survivors.  
  
“He was on you the whole trial? What did you do to piss him off?” Jake can hear Meg questioning Laurie.  
  
“I don’t know but he’s a fucking horrible killer” Laurie comments and Jake swallows hard at her words.  
  
He feels bad that Laurie gets the brunt of Michael's anger in trials, Jake wonders why Michael hates his own sister like that.  
  
“Sorry I didn’t get you Dwight” Meg apologizes, she’s walking over to him and opens her arms.  
  
Dwight’s eyes widen and he leans into her and they hug for a moment before he speaks, “It’s really okay, as long as everyone else got out. I would say getting sacrificed was worth it”  
  
Jake gives a knowing look at his teammates and Dwight smiles in his direction. They have a whole conversation with just one look and Jake smiles back.  
  
He starts making his way past the others as they chatter, “Where are you going, Jake?” Meg questions him and Jake halts his movement.  
  
“I uhhh” He stutters.  
  
“Won’t you stay with us?” She pleads, her eyes are bigger than ever, a pout on her face.  
  
“I’m just going to go check on the injured guy back there, remember” Jake nervously laughs.  
  
“Oohhhh, the poor little raven? I hope he’s doing better today,” She says.  
  
“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll just check on him, I’ll only be a second” He adds.  
  
“So, you’ll come back?” She asks with a hopeful smile on her face.  
  
“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll be back. I promise” He’s not sure if that’s a lie or not but he’ll do his best to keep his promise.  
  
He makes his way into the forest and passes the same old trees and walks the same faint dirt path that he knows so well.  
  
He thinks about today’s trial, he still wishes he understood why Michael gives Laurie such a hard time.  
  
She’s been in trials with Michael before and they were always really bad but this time was pretty brutal and Jake wants to know what happened.  
  
Was it because he talked about her in front of Michael a few days ago, does bringing her up give him rage.  
  
Jake wonders what is going on in that head of his and he wants to understand so bad.  
  
He’s complicated and Jake wishes he could get the answers.  
  
He makes his way into the opening of the forest and walks his way under the willow tree, the little crow is sitting perched up on top of the log, exactly where Jake left him before the trial.  
  
He picks the bird up in his hands and starts to carefully inspect it and takes a seat onto the piece of wood.  
  
“You’re a good patient, little guy” he huffs out a laugh and gently looks at the sprained wing.  
  
It’s starting to heal up nicely and Jake gets the feelings that wounds and sprains work differently in this world then they do outside of it.  
  
The bird caws and looks behind Jake, “What is it?” Jake says with a smile.  
  
He can feel a hand being placed on his shoulder and Jake jumps out of his skin and goes flying off the log and turns around.  
  
Michael is standing there and Jake’s eyes grow wide.  
  
“W-w-what is it?” Jake stutters, he shrugs his shoulders. The feeling of Michael’s hand on him sent a shiver down his spine.  
  
They stare at each other in silence for a few moments.  
  
Jake leans down and carefully places the crow back down onto the log. He’s still holding eye contact with Michael.  
  
Michael starts making his way around the piece of wood sitting next to the willow tree and Jake takes a few steps back.  
  
He’s walking in Jake’s direction and Jake is breathing a little heavier than usual.  
  
He doesn’t know why but he is feeling extremely nervous right now, Michael was a little aggressive in today’s trial and Jake is a little fearful that he might want to take out some of that on him right now.  
  
“Are you mad about the trial?” Jake questions  
  
“You really focused on Laurie today”  
  
“What's your deal with her, huh?” Jake snaps.  
  
“Why do you treat her so bad all the time?” He knows that these questions might potentially piss Michael off but Jake is tired of watching his friend suffer.  
  
“What did she ever do to you?” He demands answers but Michael just watches him from across the ways.  
  
Michael lifts his hands up and looks down at them.  
  
Jake is reminded of the moment before he left, he remembers Michael looking the same way.  
  
“I saw you before I went through the hatch, you were looking at your hands just like that,” Jake comments.  
  
“You were thinking weren't you?”  
  
“Was it regret? Do you regret treating Laurie like that?” Jake interrogates.  
  
“There has to be a shrivel of humanity in you if you’re second guessing your actions,” Jake thinks out loud.  
  
Michael looks up at him and gently shakes his head ‘no.’  
  
He’s finally gotten a response from him, after all this time.  
  
Jake isn’t entirely sure what to do, he’s been begging for the man to do anything to show he understands, to try and communicate with him and he was capable after all this time.  
  
“No??” Jake speaks in a confused tone.  
  
“Then what is it?” He asks as Michael walks his way up to him.  
  
Jake’s eyes open wide and he cranes his neck to look up at Michael, he can hear the taller man breathing underneath the latex mask.  
  
Jake swallows hard.  
  
They stare at each other for a few moments before Michael slowly lifts his hand up. Jake notices the movement, he winces and closes his eyes.  
  
He’s not met with any aggression or pain but with a soft touch to the left side of his cheek. Jake sucks in a breath and slowly opens his eyes.  
  
Michael is gently cupping the one side of his face with his large hand.  
  
Jake’s wide eyed and confused look on his face is telling.  
  
Michael tilts his head to the side, his hand still comfortably holding Jake.  
  
His thumb gently swipes across Jake’s face, his movement is small and Jake’s heart is beating a mile a minute.  
  
Jake lifts his hand up and gently places it over Michael, he closes his eyes and leans into the touch.  
  
Jake’s head is spinning with confusion. He’s trying to piece together what this means.  
  
Then it clicks.  
  
From the trial earlier, when Jake pushed Laurie out of the way and got the sharp end of Michael's knife.  
  
The cut across his face.  
  
He didn’t want to hit Jake.  
  
Was it an accident?

A mistake?  
  
Is this his way of saying sorry?  
  
Michael glides on the surface of the left side of his face, gently across his cheek bone and down towards his lips.  
  
His thumb caresses Jake’s bottom lip and Jake lightly opens his mouth, he takes in a deep breath.  
  
Jake’s eyes flutter in response.  
  
“JAKE?” A voice can be heard off in the distance.  
  
Michael’s hand rapidly pulls away and Jake’s eyes snap fully open at the lack of contact.  
  
He didn’t realize how caught up the moment he was, he doesn’t know what came over him.  
  
Why did he allow Michael to do that to him?  
  
Michael is quickly walking away and Jake can’t find it in himself to say another word to him before he leaves.  
  
Jake places his hand that was on top of Michael’s back on the side of his own face.  
  
Michael is long gone now and Jake is left dazed and confused.  
  
“Hey, Jake!” Laurie calls out, she’s made her way into the center of the opening.  
  
“Meg wanted me to come…” She pauses.  
  
“Are you okay?” She questions him.  
  
Jake’s eyes are still bugged out and his mouth is lightly inched open a visible tint of red across his face.  
  
“What’s wrong with your face?” She asks with a laugh.  
  
“I-I-I uhh what?” Jake stutters and looks over at Laurie, he drops his hand to his side quickly.  
  
“You were holding your face, are you alright?” She’s walking over now, she looks like she is trying to get a better look at him. 

“O-O-Oh, nothing just residual pain from the trial?” Jake says, it’s more of a question if anything. He doesn’t exactly have a plausible excuse right now and he’s never been a good liar.

“That can happen?” She has a confused look on her face, Jake isn’t exactly sure she is buying everything he is saying right now.

“Uhhh why did you need me?” Jake dodges any more confusion with a question.

“Meg wanted me to come get you and I thought it was a good idea, we are all playing some games. A guessing game!” Laurie says, her face is a little scrunched up now. She’s a smart woman and Jake knows that she knows that something isn’t quite right.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you saw a ghost” She huffs out a laugh. Her laugh is comforting and Jake didn’t exactly know he needed to hear it right now to help ease his confusion and running thoughts.

“Yeah i was just… im fine” He nervously answers with a cough, he’s rubbing the back of his neck and laughs in return.

“Well come on, everyone is waiting for you,” Laurie says, she’s placing her hands out in a way to escort him.

Jake follows her movement and makes his way past her.

They walk back to the campfire and Jake manages to get through this little game night without raising any more questions out of Laurie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: JESUS GUYS IM SORRY THE LAST PART OF THE CHAPTER DIDNT POST!!! I ADDED IT IM SO SORRY
> 
> ohohohoh things are starting to pick up a little more!
> 
> I'm excited for you guys to see what happens in the next 2 chapters. *rubs my grubby little hands together*
> 
> also thank you so much for all the kudos, it means a lot to me~
> 
> See you all next update.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE: there was a section at the end of the last chapter that got cut out from ao3 being toxic to me, so if you want to go back and read the bit with the finished ending, it's up to you. It's not necessary for the plot or rest of the story, but it does end cleaner and not so abruptly. LOL 
> 
> But anyways, double chapter in a week. This is my way of saying "Thank you but also sorry because you guys will have to wait extra long for the next chapter because I have a bunch of work I need to get done"
> 
> Hope you all enjoy this chapter

It’s been what feels like days since Jake has seen or interacted with Michael, inside and outside of trials.

It’s weird to think that he is sitting here hoping that he’s okay, even after what he does to his friends.   
  
His fellow survivors have had trials with him, they come out of the fog with brutal stories of his killings. Michael doesn’t seem to hold back when it comes to everyone else and Jake still wonders what makes him so special.   
  
What did he do to deserve the special treatment? A thought that continues to run through Jake’s mind every time he thinks about it.   
  
“Hey Jake?” a voice calls out, he snaps back to reality at the sound. He had forgotten he was still sitting at the campfire with Claudette.   
  
Everyone else is in a trial right now and Jake got lucky enough to not be chosen this time around, he’s always thankful for that.   
  
“What’s up?” Jake responds, he’s looking over at her, he is seated on the ground back pressed up against one of the broken pieces of wood laying around the fire. Claudette sits right beside him on top of the log.   
  
She’s playing with her hands, she looks rather nervous right now.   
  
“You alright?” Jake questions her; he’s adjusting himself on the ground, an elbow leaning on top of the lumber, his weight pushed onto his right hip.   
  
“Yeah, I’m fine” She says with a tense laugh, she’s pulling at her fingers and Jake can’t help but notice her little tick.   
  
He raises an eyebrow and gives her a questioning look.   
  
“You and Meg are good friends, right?” it’s a rhetorical question and Jake knows that she already knows the answer.   
  
He hums in response.   
  
“Has she ever… You know… Said anything about me?” She timidly asks.   
  
“Did something happen between you two?” Jake gets the feeling he knows where this is going, but he wants to cover all avenues before assuming.   
  
“No, no!” She stutters, she’s waving her hands in front of her, “Nothing happened, no.”   
  
“Well, sort of?” She adds, she lets out another nervous laugh and places her hands gently onto her thighs.   
  
Jake tilts his head,“So what happened?”    
  
“She… Well… In a trial a day or so ago” Claudette has a confused look on her face. She looks like she is trying to make sense of it all and Jake is very curious as to what might have gone down.   
  
“Yeah?” He says.   
  
“We were the last two in the trial and…We were together, there were still three generators left and she told me she would sacrifice herself so I could get out,” She admits and Jake actually remembers that trial, he was in it and he can recall that Claudette was the only one who got out.   
  
“Oh yeah, I remember. Meg has always been kind of selfless in trials. She’s done things like that for me in the past,” Jake comments.   
  
“Yeah but… She…” she trails off, something more happened and Jake wonders if she is going to share it with him or not.   
  
Jake gives her a look and Claudette coughs, she’s adjusting her glasses on her face now,   
  
“She…” She’s stuttering and Jake is just watching her, waiting for her to gain the courage to open up to him.   
  
“She just” Claudette places her hands out in front of her to showcase what happened, “She cupped my face in one of her hands and she looked at me and said she is getting me out of here, then..” She pauses.   
  
“She…. She kissed me on the cheek” Claudette goes a deep red and she covers her face with her hands.   
  
Jake can’t help but smile, he’s proud of Meg for finally making a move on the botanist. He knew there was something going on but seeing it come to fruition is kind of adorable.   
  
“So you want to know what it means?” Jake huffs out a laugh.   
  
Claudette is still covering her face, she’s embarrassed and Jake can tell but she nods her head and he laughs some more.   
  
“Isn’t it obvious?” He comments, he’s feeling a little smug right now.   
  
“Has she said anything to you?” Claudette questions him, her voice is muffled by her hands.   
  
Jake leans over and places his hand on her knee, “You’re overthinking this, Claud.”   
  
“Am I???Am I though?” She’s pulling her hands away from her head, a distressed look on her face.    
  
Jake chuckles and gives her a knowing look.   
  
“Do you not feel the same?” Jake asks her.   
  
“No...” she stutters.   
  
“No?” Jake retaliates.   
  
“No, I mean yes I do!” She exclaims, “It’s just that… What if we ruin our friendship? We are stuck in this world until god knows when and what if something happens between us? I don’t want to lose her as a friend. I don’t want anything to happen to everything around the campfire.”    
  
Jake gives her a pained expression, he shakes her knee a little, “Yeah you maybe right, there is always a possibility that things won’t work out the way you want them to and so what if they don’t? You’ll never know until you take that chance, right?”    
  
Claudette knits her brows together, she places her hand over top of Jake’s.   
  
“You’re right” She says, her voice is quiet.   
  
“Is dating a girl you really like while you’re stuck in hell is as romantic as it sounds?” She says with a laugh and Jake can’t help but join in.   
  
“It’s the little things,” Jake responds.   
  
“I want you to be happy, Claud. Meg is a wonderful person and I think you two would be good for each other” He adds with a bright smile painted across his face.   
  
“I want you to be happy too, maybe there will be someone who comes to this world that you like and would be good for you too?” She says, she returns the smile.   
  
Her words stick in his head like glue, his expression visibly changes and he takes this moment to think.   
  
Could there ever be someone in this realm that would make him happy?   
  
Is there a possibility he could find someone who cares for him as much as he does?   
  
Someone he could spend this horrific life with?   
  
Jake wonders if he would ever own up to those feelings if it ever came down to it, he’s always struggled with his emotions.   
  
Growing up he was always taught to suppress what you experience in order to be valiant. His family was never the touchy type and that led Jake to distancing himself and not trusting others.    
  
He’s been conditioned that way.   
  
He’s finally comfortable enough with the other survivors enough to call them his companions, some more than others.   
  
He’s managed to make friends in this world and Jake can’t help but think about maybe after everything between him and Michael, maybe there is a possibility they could be friends too?   
  
Are they friends already?   
  
“Are you alright?” Claudette questions, she’s shaking Jake’s hand that's sitting on top of her knee.   
  
“Yeah, sorry...I was just thinking” He manages to get out.   
  
“Do you mind if I head out?” He asks her.   
  
Claudette’s eyes widen and she smiles, “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine here until the others get back.”   
  
Jake gives her a half grin and starts standing up to his feet, he brushes himself off and makes his way past her.   
  
“Are you sure you’re okay?” She asks him again.   
  
“You don’t have to worry about me either. I’ll see you later,” He says, he places a hand on her shoulder for a moment before walking away.   
  
Claudette looks over her shoulder and waves in his direction, he waves back and makes his way into the dark parts of the forest.   
  
He crosses his arms as he makes his way to his sanctuary.   
  
His conversation with Claudette has got him thinking, maybe a little too much.    
  
Jake is making his way out here in hopes of seeing Michael; he wonders if this time, when he wants to see him, he’ll be there.   
  
He finds his way into the opening and to his dismay it’s empty. Jake can’t help but pout. He was really hoping that he could talk to him.   
  
Jake walks closer to the willow tree, the injured crow is sitting comfortably near the roots and he leans down to pick it up. He gently cups it in his hands and takes a seat on the log.   
  
He’s already checked up on the wing from earlier and it seems to be healing at a rapid pace and should be flying again soon. He just wants some comfort right now from nature.   
  
Jake places the bird onto his lap and starts to caress the top of it’s head.   
  
“Don’t worry little guy, you’ll get your strength back and be back in the air in no time,” He whispers.   
  
The crow turns its head and looks up at him and caws, Jake tilts his head and lets a smile creep past his lips.   
  
“I wish you had the answers for me,” He speaks to the creature sitting neatly on top of him.   
  
It’s silent.   
  
The crow is still staring up at him and Jake lets out a deep sigh.   
  
“I just don’t know how,” He questions it.   
  
The bird jumps off of his lap and lands at his feet, Jake is surprised by the action and he lifts his hands up in confusion.   
  
The bird starts hobbling it’s way around the log and Jake watches as it disappears past his peripheral vision. He looks back in front of him and places his elbows on his thighs and drops his head.   
  
“What are you thinking?” He lets out another exasperated breath.   
  
The crow caws in the distance and Jake looks up for a moment before resting his head back down and closing his eyes.   
  
“A killer and survivor being friends?” He whispers.   
  
The crow screams behind him again.   
  
Jake lifts his hands up and places them on his head, he runs his fingers through his hair. He’s thinking too much about the possibilities of what might happen if he gets an answer from Michael about if they are no longer enemies.   
  
Jake knows he would never tell his teammates if the likelihood is true, especially not Laurie.    
  
Jake doesn’t even want to think about what Laurie might think if she ever found out.   
  
He’s so torn between the idea that maybe Michael isn’t as awful as Laurie says he is, he wonders what the bad blood between them is.   
  
Is there something Laurie isn’t telling him?   
  
Is there more to their relationship than what's on the surface?   
  
Jake huffs out a breath and holds on tightly to his hair.   
  
“You’re so stupid,” he whispers to himself.   
  
A crow continues to screech behind him and it’s becoming a little irritating.   
  
He whips his head around and looks behind him, the injured crow is looking over in Jake’s direction. It starts hoping it’s way deeper into the forest.   
  
Jake turns back around and places his hands back onto his head, elbows firmly on his knees.   
  
The animal calls out again.

“WHAT?” Jake yells, he’s standing up and turning around to face the winged creature, arms spread wide in confusion.   
  
It looks back at him before continuing on it’s way and Jake has this overwhelming feeling that he should follow it.   
  
The crows have been acting very strange lately and he wonders if there is something out there that’s causing it. He figures the distraction might be good for him, so he walks his way over in the direction the bird is going.   
  
It’s taking its time with its movements, jumping it’s way deeper into the wooded area and Jake is walking at a slow pace behind it.   
  
He wonders what this might mean.Jake has always trusted nature, why wouldn’t being here in this world be any different?   
  
Jake patiently follows as they make their way deeper into the forest, he’s never been out this far. He’s never had a reason to be, once he found his little hideout he didn’t press any further.   
  
They walk for a few minutes before Jake can see a noticeable path ahead, it’s as faint as the one he’s used to close to the campfire.   
  
The crow stops in front of the dirt trail and settles down, Jake is a bit confused right now. He figures the bird is leading him somewhere but why stop now.   
  
“Are you tired, little guy?” He says as he walks his way over. He squats down in front of it and gently pets its head.   
  
“Sorry for yelling at you,” Jake says with a sorrowful smile. “I hope you can forgive me.”   
  
The creature hops a few steps closer to the path and sits next to it, it looks back at Jake and caws again.   
  
“Alright, I’m going, I’m going!” He says, he’s placing his hands up in front of his chest in a form of defense.   
  
He steps his way onto the worn out track and hikes for a few seconds before looking over his shoulder back at the injured bird. It tilts its head in response and Jake looks off ahead of him and continues on.   
  
The path is small and narrow, nothing is exactly different in this area of the forest. There are a few bushes and clusters of trees.    
  
Jake can see something off in the distance, he can’t quite make it out. It looks like a building of some sort. He slowly makes his way over in its direction.   
  
It starts to become more clearer as he gets closer, it’s some sort of building made out of broken pieces of wood. It appears to be a shaft, standing on a few crooked legs. There’s a ladder tucked underneath it and Jake stares at it in wonder.   
  
He makes his way over to it and looks up, it’s large and extremely tall. Jake wonders what could be inside of this thing. He walks underneath it and looks up, it’s pitch black and he can’t see any light coming in anywhere.   
  
He takes a moment to look around, it feels like the forest is watching him. Jake squints as he takes in his surroundings. The crow led him out here for a reason, there must be something in here that he wants Jake to find.   
  
Is this his ticket out of this place?   
  
Jake gets a small hint of excitement and wonders if he should go tell the others about what he found. He looks back up into the underside of the structure, but this time he can hear whispering.   
  
It's enchanting and Jake wants to understand what it’s saying, “Hello?” He calls out. His voice echoes under the building. The whispering continues and Jake decides to take his chances and walks over to the ladder.   
  
He gently places his foot up on one of the steps and holds on with his hands, he’s staring up into the dark abyss as he crawls his way to the top. The whispers are getting louder but Jake still can’t quite make out what they are saying, there are too many people talking at once.   
  
He continues making his way up, he looks down for a moment but he can’t see the ground, everything is black.   
  
Jake swallows hard, he figures that he’s made it this far and he should keep going. He uses his sense of touch to guide upwards. He’s taking his time with it, when all of a sudden his head bumps into something.   
  
“OUCH!” He yells out, he’s ducking down and lifts his hand up and places it on top of his hair and rubs it a little.    
  
He scrunches up his face, he’s moving his hand upward to feel what it might have been, it feels like the texture of wood. He pushes on it and it creaks open. He can see a sliver of light peeking through. Whatever this is, is extremely heavy and Jake needs more than just a single hand to lift it.   
  
He decides to crawl further up, he’s scrunching his body up a little. He’s planning on using his shoulder and back to lift this thing up. He lines himself up and pushes up, more light comes beaming through. It slams back down again.    
  
“Come on, you can do this” He speaks to himself. He uses all his strength to push off from his legs and the wood comes opening up and slams down onto the ground above.   
  
His eyes are trying to adjust to the light. He has his arm in front of him, he’s shielding himself from the bit of exposure. He can feel solid ground with his hands, so he starts crawling out of the shaft hole.   
  
He blinks a few times as he spins around and sits on the edge of the opening, he rubs his eyes and takes in his surroundings.   
  
It’s a long road, there are houses of various colours and Jake recognizes this place.   
  
It’s the realm of Haddonfield.   
  
Jake is looking around, he second guesses if he should turn around and go back down the open hatch to where he knows he’ll be safe. He wonders if the Entity is playing tricks on him right now.   
  
‘Am I dreaming?’ he thinks to himself.   
  
He stands up to his feet and brushes himself off. He’s off on the end of the street near a pile of concrete blocks.   
  
He starts walking down the long road, there are trees along the boulevards and fenced in houses. They are all boarded up with wooden planks. Things look different compared to the realm in which they play in.   
  
The street is empty, there are no vehicles or garbage cans filled with trash on the sidewalks. It’s a lot nicer in this realm, the greenery looks just as healthy and as Jake makes his way down the road he notices the main building. His friends refer to it as the house of pain.   
  
It’s a two story house with a set of two windows on the top floors. There’s a front door attached to it, it’s a little cracked open and Jake wonders if this is where Michael stays when he’s not in trials.   
  
Jake looks over at the pumpkin sitting on the right side of the patio, the candle flickers a few times as Jake walks his way up the steps and onto the front deck.   
  
Jake hesitates at the door, he swallows hard before gently pushing it fully open.    
  
“H-h-hello?”   
  
The door hits the back of the wall. There is a set of stairs directly in front of him and a room that looks like a sitting area to his right. He peaks over in that direction, there’s a red couch sitting comfortably on the floor, a rug that's seen better days lays in the center of the room.   
  
He turns back to the front of the house and makes his way up the stairs, the floors are creaky and old, the walls are filled with ugly patterns, something you would find in your grandmother's house.   
  
His hand drags along the wooden banister as he finds his way to the top of the stairs, there is a tiny hallway and only two rooms up on the second floor. Jake walks over to the room on the left and places his hand on the handle and turns.   
  
His movements are halted.   
  
It’s locked.   
  
Jake looks behind him at the door on the right side of the hall. He wonders if it’s latched too. He figures he might as well try. He turns around and finds himself standing in front of the faded purple door. He turns the knob and it clicks open.   
  
He pauses.   
  
Jake wonders if he might be in trouble or get caught for trespassing, but he’s willing to take that chance. He slowly opens the wooden entrance and is met with a dimly lit room. There is a bed tucked away in the corner, a side table stands comfortably right next to, a golden toolbox sits on top of the wooden surface.   
  
There is a shelf off at the right corner of the room near the window, It’s filled with items from trials. There looks to be medicine kits, toolboxes, keys, flashlights and a few knives. The curtains are barely open, a sliver of light creeping its way into the room.   
  
Jake is taking it all in, it’s nothing like the house in the realm they fight for their life in. It’s nice in here. Jake would almost say it was homey.   
  
Jake goes deeper into the room and stands in front of the window, he pulls the fabric away and lets the moonlight pour onto his face. He closes his eyes for a moment, hands still holding on to the blinds.   
  
The hairs on the back of his neck stand up and Jake has that feeling that he’s being watched, he looks over his shoulder and to his surprise Michael is standing in the doorway.   
  
Jake jumps and turns around, “I-I’m sorry!” He quickly stutters. He’s bringing his hands in front of himself in a form of defense.   
  
“Is this your place??? I didn’t mean to.. I just” He’s trying to find an excuse as to why he was snooping around.   
  
He starts rubbing one of his biceps, “I should go… I’m sorry” he nervously says to the other man.   
  
Michael steps into the room and walks over to the bed in the left corner and takes a seat, Jake watches him settle down on the mattress.    
  
No one moves for a few moments, they just stare at each other. It’s not until Michael slides his hand out on the bed and gently taps the spot next to him.   
  
It takes Jake a few minutes to realize Michael is asking him to sit with him. Jake is feeling a little nervous at the thought of sitting next to him. He’s reminded of their time out in the forest a while ago after; him, Meg and Laurie keyed out of the hatch.   
  
Jake is thinking about their interaction out in the forest, Michael was kind and gentle with him and Jake is still trying to figure out if he fully trusts him.   
  
Michael is staring at him, his hand placed comfortably at his side. Jake can hear his breathing from all the way over here.   
  
Jake swallows hard and decides to follow Michael’s request, he steps his way over to the bed, Michael moves his hand and places it on his own thigh and turns to look ahead at the door.   
  
Jake sits down.   
  
His eyes dart over to Michael, he doesn’t know what to focus on. He decides to look at a torn picture frame in front of him. It's a worn out image of a butterfly sitting on a red rose. It’s grainy and has lost most of its colour.   
  
Jake listens to his surroundings, his heart is beating outrageously loud right now, he can still hear Michael exhaling next to him.   
  
He wants to talk to him, he wants to ask him his question but he doesn’t know how to.    
  
He’s afraid to.   
  
“I found how you’ve been getting into our realm,” He nervously says.   
  
“Well, I guess you can already tell or I wouldn’t be here right now,” Jake huffs out a breath, he’s taping his hands on his thighs out of nervousness.   
  
“I-I actually was looking for you,” He pauses.   
  
“I haven’t seen you in a couple of days, not even in trials and I was beginning to think that maybe you weren’t here anymore” He sorrowfully says, he’s playing with his hands now, trying to stay grounded.   
  
“I wanted to…”   
  
“I wanted to ask you something,” Jake whispers, he turns his head to look at Michael. Michael is staring right at him and Jake’s eyes grow wide and he whips his head back to look at the broken picture on the wall across from him.   
  
“I was just thinking that…”   
  
“What does all of this mean?” He can feel those pitch black eyes burning holes on the side of his face. Jake takes in a shaky breath, his heart is still beating faster than ever.   
  
“Y-y-you and I,” he manages to get out.   
  
“It doesn’t exactly seem conventional, you know?” He takes in a gulp and closes his eyes.   
  
“You’re nice to me and you let me out of trials, which I know isn’t the right thing to do and you gave me my scarf back when I lost it and I can’t help but wonder….”   
  
“What does that make us?”   
  
“Are we….”   
  
“Friends?”    
  
There’s a moment of silence before Jake can feel something touching his right glove. He opens his eyes back up and looks down. Michael is dragging his large hand over top of Jakes, he pushes Jakes hand to the side and interlocks their fingers together.   
  
Jake takes in a shaky breath at the action and watches as Michael gently squeezes his hand for a moment. Jake can feel his face heating up at the gesture.   
  
He finds the courage to look up at the masked man. Michael is watching him, he tilts his head to the side and Jake knows the mask is expressionless but he can almost feel some form of acknowledgement to his question.   
  
He’s answering him without saying anything.   
  
They stare at each other for a few moments before Jake looks back down at their hands, resting gently on his right thigh.   
  
“I never thought I would be friends with someone that's supposed to kill me,” Jake huffs out a laugh.   
  
“Not in this life at least,” He trails off.   
  
“Is this even okay?” Jake is thinking out loud now, he knows he’s not going to get any answers but for some reason talking comes easier with Michael. He never has to worry about saying the wrong thing or getting an answer he might not like.   
  
Talking with Michael is like talking to nature.   
  
Jake can feel Michael gently rubbing his thumb back and forth on the side of his gloved hand. The gesture is comforting and reassuring and Jake thinks that maybe Michael isn’t as bad as he’s been made out to be.   
  
They sit there together, holding hands comfortably in silence.   
  
Jake is ravishing in everything right now, he’s gotten the confirmation that he’s been wondering for quite some time now.    
  
But he can’t help but feel like something is wrong. His mind still wanders to the idea of what Laurie might think; what she might say if she ever knew what he’s doing or what he’s done, how he’s been with Michael for these past couple of weeks.   
  
How would she feel if she ever found out that he’s befriended her murderous brother?   
  
The guilt is starting to settle in Jake’s stomach and he’s hit with the feeling that he shouldn't be here right now.   
  
“I-I should probably go now,” He says to Michael, he’s pulling his hand away at a rapid pace and Michael’s hand stutters as Jake stands up.   
  
He’s swinging his hands at his sides, “I don’t want the others to worry” His statement isn’t entirely true, he does fear that Laurie might go out to the forest looking for him and when she doesn’t find him there, he’s not sure he’ll have a good excuse for her. Though on the other hand, he has been enjoying his time out here with Michael.   
  
Jake quickly turns around and walks out the door, he runs down the stairs and out the front door in a few seconds. He just wants to get back to the others, away from anything that can make him feel any more at fault.   
  
He practically sprints his way down the street towards the enormous hatch sitting at the end of the drive. The lid is closed and Jake bends down to try and lift it up.   
  
It took all of his strength to open it from underneath, but it’s easier to push things than it is to pull. He’s holding the handle and tugs upwards, the top opens for a few seconds before it slams back shut.   
  
Jake just wants to get out of here, he can feel his chest tightening over all of his running thoughts. His breathing is getting a little shorter than usual, trying to lift the heavy wooden cap isn’t exactly helping him right now.   
  
“Come on” He whispers to himself after a few more attempts to lift the thing up.   
  
He feels a hand being placed on his shoulder and he pauses with open eyes.   
  
Jake stands back up and turns around, Michaels hand is still sitting neatly on his right shoulder, he cranes his neck and looks up at the masked man.    
  
Michael gently pushes Jake to the side as he leans down and grabs on to the handle and pulls it open with ease, the motions makes Jake swallow hard.   
  
He guesses it makes sense that he would be able to do that without struggle, considering he tosses him and his friends over his shoulder like they weigh nothing on a daily basis.   
  
“Thanks,” Jake huffs out a laugh and rubs the back of his neck.   
  
Michael looks back down at Jake, Jake quickly looks away to the open hatch. He scrunches up his face, he feels like he should say something right now.   
  
He’s turning around and starts trying to make his way down the empty space.   
  
Michael places his sizable hand in front of Jake and Jake gets the feeling that he’s trying to help him. Jake’s eyes dart up at Michael and back down to his hand.    
  
He complies and gently places his hand onto Michaels and uses him to steady himself as he steps down onto the ladder. Michaels hand follows him as he makes his way deeper into the hole.   
  
Jake pauses and looks up at Michael, he’s leaning down.Their eyes meet and Jake gets that tight feeling in his chest again.   
  
“See you in the fog,” he says with a smile.   
  
Jake pauses for a moment before letting their hands gently separate as he crawls down further into the shaft and makes his way back to his own realm.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "IS THIS ALLOWED??" vine plays in the background. Well it finally happened folks, they are officially 'friends'!!! YAY! :D
> 
> one last thing, I've received too many comments of ppl being afraid that I'm going to drop this story and forget about it and I want to reassure all of you that I 100% plan on finishing this bad boy! LOL  
> I didn't write almost 45K words just to drop it like a hot potato.
> 
> Anyways, thanks so much for reading and for all the lovely comments. It means the world to me and keeps me going! <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told myself if I got all of my sketches finalized by their clients I would post the next chapter! so here we are :D
> 
> also...after some reworking of my drafts for the rest of the story (I don't know if anyone noticed but ) I've decided to add another chapter!   
> It's whats needed to help with the flow of everything.
> 
> without further ado, I hope you guys like this one~

“Come on Jake, you’re gonna miss the best part,” Laurie is shaking him awake with a laugh, he’s leaning up against her leg on the ground in front of the campfire.   
  
He stretches his arms out to the sides and arches his back and takes in a breath, “Yeah, sleepy head” Meg calls out from across the way.    
  
Jake rubs his eyes before blinking a few times “Present,” He says flatly before slumping back down onto Laurie’s leg.   
  
Laurie leans forward and gently pats his shoulder and Jake looks over at her, a smile creeping past his lips.   
  
“Okay, okay. It was right around the time Laurie got sacrificed.” Meg starts to speak, she’s already jumping in her seat and Jake can tell this is going to be an entertaining story.   
  
“I knew she had a key, we found each other along the way and searched through a chest together,” She lets out a giggle and looks over in Laurie’s direction.   
  
“If you count opening and closing the chest repeatedly back and forth as ‘working together,’ then I say we did a pretty good job.” Laurie says with a chuckle and Meg bursts out laughing.   
  
Meg waves her hand in front of her, “But anyways, I remembered the hook Laurie got sacrificed on.”   
  
“You’re missing the part where I…” Dwight starts to speak but Meg cuts him off.   
  
“Don’t worry I’m getting to that,” She says.   
  
“So, Dwight goes down. Like he’s ‘down, down.’ I’m talking on the ground crying!” She continues.   
  
“HEY!” Dwight calls out and Meg laughs.   
  
“The Trapper decides he wants to leave Dwight on the ground and come for me, mind you we are the only two people left, okay?” She’s lifting her hands up in the air in a dramatic fashion.   
  
“He’s chasing me around, I remember where Laurie got hooked and we all know what happens to what you were carrying after you get sacrificed?”   
  
“It stays on the ground” they all collectively say.    
  
“It stays on the ground!” Meg exclaims.   
  
“So what do I do?” She’s placing her hand on her chest now, “I run over to the hook Laurie was on and I pick up the dull key that's laying in the ground.”   
  
“I remember watching you off in the distance,” Dwight says with a sorrowful look on his face and Jake gets the feeling that this story doesn’t end in his favour.   
  
“He’s already hit me, right?” She makes a swinging motion with her hands, “I go running after I pick up the key.”   
  
“I can feel Dwight off to my right, he’s near the shack but I know I shouldn’t go that way.” She continues.   
  
“If you came for me we both would have been goners,” Dwight adds, he’s shaking his right leg and Jake can see it moving next to him. It’s just one of his many ticks.   
  
“So I’m running around some of the tiles and I think to myself ‘Where could hatch be?” She’s throwing her hands up in a gesture of confusion.   
  
“And guess what!??” she yells arms spread far apart.   
  
“What?” Claudette questions, she’s leaning her chin onto her hands as she looks over at Meg with adoration. Jake can’t help but smile at the expression painting across her face.   
  
“I round the corner and there it is, it’s sitting in front of me!” She’s expressive with her body language, “I have just enough time to unlock it and then jump in” She says with a big smile on her face.   
  
“Sorry I had to leave you behind, Dwight” She shoots him a pained expression. Dwight adjusts his glasses and lets out a sigh, “I’m always willing to sacrifice myself for the good of the team” He says.   
  
Jake gently punches his bouncing leg and Dwight looks down at him and they share a knowing smile together.   
  
Meg lets out an exasperated sigh and Jake whips his head over in her direction in confusion. A few of the survivors all collectively start to stand up inunison, “A trial?” Jake questions.   
  
“Sad but true” Laurie says as she places her hand on Jake’s shoulder before walking over in the direction of the ever growing fog. Jake watches as the four survivors walk into the mist, he can’t help but notice Claudette and Meg’s hands interlocking with one another as they are consumed.   
  
Jake looks over at Nea sitting across from him at the campfire, she’s picking at her nails.   
  
It’s quiet.   
  
Jake pushes his legs up towards his chest and holds onto himself, “I hope they all make it out.” He says, he’s not sure if he should be making conversation right now.   
  
Him and Nea were never the talkative type but he figures he could make some effort before he inevitable goes into hiding.   
  
She hums in response.   
  
Jake looks over at her, she’s taking her toque off and shaking her hair for a moment before placing the piece of fabric back onto her head.    
  
He notices something move off in the distance behind her. He squints for a moment before his eyes grow wide.   
  
It’s Michael.   
  
He’s walking from around the trees and coming in line of sight and Jake’s heart starts hammering in his chest, he doesn’t know what to do.   
  
Jake looks down and notices he has his knife in his hands and Jake all but loses his mind. He should not be here right now, he should not have his knife. What if he hurts her?   
  
Jake is trying his best to keep it together.   
  
He gives him a shocked look as he watches Michael take a few steps out of the forest and on to the dirt.   
  
Jake jumps up to his feet, “Why.. .uhh... don’t you…” He starts making a pushing motion in Michael’s direction.    
  
Nea looks up at him in confusion, “What?” she asks him.   
  
“You should go!” He yells out.   
  
“Me?” she says in bewilderment.    
  
“No, not you” he grits his teeth together, he moves his hands flat at his side. He’s using his index finger to point away.   
  
Michael continues to slowly walk his way over.   
  
Nea knits her brows together and gives Jake an uncertain look, “What are you talking about?” she asks him.   
  
Jake’s eyes are fixated on Michael behind her and Nea is still looking at Jake. Jake’s eyes dart over at her as she starts turning around to see what Jake is looking at.   
  
“NO!” Jake shouts and Nea whips her head back in his direction before seeing anything and Michael stops in his tracks.   
  
“Uhhh.. Look at that!” He says, he’s pointing at the lit fire in front of her and Nea moves herself a little further onto the edge of the log and starts staring at the flames.   
  
Jake takes this moment to start shooing Michael away. He’s not making any effort to move, he’s just standing there.   
  
“What am I looking at?” She questions him, she’s throwing a hand up in confusion.   
  
Jake gives Michael a frustrated look and turns back to Nea, she turns her head up to look at him.   
  
“Uhhh… what?” He asks her and Nea’s face scrunches up.   
  
“You’re acting a little weird right now... which I know is kind of normal for you” she trails off and Jake is more worried about the masked man behind her than he is about her comment.   
  
“Sorry.. I uhh… thought someone was back” He lies, he’s rubbing the back of his neck now.   
  
“Back in… the fire?” She says.   
  
“Uhh no?” He replies.   
  
Nea lifts an eyebrow up at him and Jake swallows hard.   
  
“I think I need to take a walk,” He says, he’s quickly making his way past her and she watches him leave in her peripheral version.   
  
“Uhhh okay?? Have fun,” She says, she’s pushing herself back onto the log and places her elbows on her knees.   
  
“Yeah, thanks. Talk to you later” Jake quickly replies as he speed walks behind her and over in Michael's direction.   
  
Michael is just standing there as Jake walks over and he places his hand onto the taller man's arm and pushes him back into the forest. They make their way just deep enough to be out of ear shot.   
  
“What were you thinking?” He’s yelling through a whisper.   
  
“You can’t be there like that,” He’s pointing over in the direction of the campfire.   
  
“What if someone sees you?” He pushes his hands onto Michaels chest in an attempt to shove him back, but he doesn’t move an inch.   
  
“Just because you and I are friends doesn’t mean…” He’s cut off by a gentle finger on his mouth. Jake’s eyes grow wide and he flushes. He looks down at Michael’s hand.   
  
Michael lifts his knife up into Jake’s field of view and then points it off in the direction of the deep end of the forest. Jake gives a confused look.   
  
He places his hand over top of Michael’s and moves his finger down off of his lips.   
  
“Do you…” He stutters.   
  
“Need me?” he swallows at his own comment.   
  
Michael gently pulls his hand away from Jake and places it onto Jake’s arm and turns him in the direction he was pointing at.   
  
Jake isn’t sure what he needs from him right now, but he guesses it must be important if Michael was willing to put himself out there like that.   
  
They start making their way over to Jake’s sanctuary, walking past the many trees, rocks and follow along the dirt path.   
  
“Uhhh… Hey,” he doesn’t know why but he’s nervous right now.   
  
“The trial from a few days ago,” he trails off.   
  
“Thanks for letting me go... Again” He’s rubbing one of his biceps as they continue to walk side by side.   
  
“Though I think maybe you should still at least try to hit me a few times?” Jake huffs out a laugh.   
  
“I don’t want the others getting too suspicious, y’know?” he finishes.   
  
“Hey, what’s it like for you after a trial is over? For us, you know we either die or we escape and being sacrificed isn’t all that fun. So, what happens to you when a trial ends?? Does the entity just take you away?” Jake wonders, he’s not exactly sure why he asks Michael so many questions when it’s been proven by all of their previous interactions that he can’t speak or chooses not to. Even knowing that Jake still can’t help but ask.   
  
“Does it ever get lonely in your realm?” Jake looks over at Michael, Michael is too focused on the opening up ahead and Jake can’t help but pout.   
  
He can hear a crow screeching as they make their way closer to the willow tree. Jake looks back in front of him and watches as the crow hobbles around in circles and continues to cry out.   
  
Jake has a confused look on his face at the sight. He guesses Michael was sitting out here and had to witness this, so that's why he decided to come get him. The thought of that is endearing to Jake.   
  
It’s nice to feel needed.   
  
Jake wonders what’s going on with the little creature, “What’s the matter little guy?” Jake walks over and bends down to scoop up the bird into his hands.   
  
Michael walks over and sits on top of the broken piece of wood next to the tree, he places his knife at his side and looks over at Jake. Jake walks over to Michael, “Here, hold him so I can get a better look,” He says as he gently places the bird in Michaels cupped hands.   
  
Michael lifts his hand up and looks at the crow. He’s sliding the bird into his left palm and using his right hand to man handle and inspect the bird. He’s rough with his actions and the animal starts screaming from his touch.   
  
Jake’s eyes grow wide “STOP THAT!” he yells, he’s taking Michael's right hand and pushing it away. Michael looks over in Jake’s direction and Jake gives him an exasperated look.   
  
“You have to stop being so rough with the animals,” He says with a sigh, he’s running his fingers through his hair now.   
  
“They are your friends!” He continues.   
  
“Like how you are mine,” Jake catches himself on his words, a deep tint of red starts creeping over his cheeks.   
  
“I-I-I mean because… You’re my friend. Not because you’re like...” Jake coughs as Michael tilts his head to the side.   
  
The crow caws and Jake takes this opportunity to distract himself from the conversation he is currently having, “Uhhh...Here, let me see him.” He nervously says.   
  
Michael turns his body to face Jake and lift’s his cupped hands up in his direction. Jake can’t help but look at the man's sizable hands. He can feel himself getting flustered a bit as he starts inspecting the bird, his hands are shaking but he’s gently moving around trying to focus on the task at hand and not Michael’s large palms.   
  
“Wow.” He says in bewilderment.   
  
The bird is already healed up and Jake thinks it’s time to remove the mock bandages and set him free. It hasn’t even been much time at all, but the Entity works in mysterious ways.   
  
“I think it’s time for him to go,” Jake says as he looks up at Michael.   
  
Michael turns his body and reaches for the knife at his side and lifts it up into the air above the bird.   
  
“NOT LIKE THAT!” Jake yells, he’s leaning forward and holding Michaels wrist to avoid any impact.   
  
Michael pushes his hand over, Jake’s still attached to his wrist as he brings the knife down to cut the plant off the bird.

“Oh, s-s-sorry… I’m still trying to get used to….” he removes his hand as Michael looks over at him.   
  
Jake coughs, he doesn’t finish his thought.   
  
They gently work together to cut the bandages and slowly peel them off the raven. Jake is still feeling a bit flustered as he moves around touching Michael’s big hands.   
  
They free the bird from it’s confieds and watch as it stretches its wing out a few times.   
  
“You can sit him down nice and gently,” Jake whispers and Michael listens. He places his knife back down at his side and leans forward and carefully places the animal down at their feet.   
  
“He needs a few minutes to adjust,” Jake says as the crow hops it’s way further in front of them, spreading its wings a few times.   
  
Jake turns and looks up at Michael and then back at the bird. His own hands placed firmly onto his thighs. He starts rhythmically tapping his fingers.   
  
He takes in a few shaky breaths, He’s not sure what’s coming over him but he can’t shake the feeling of wanting to be closer to Michael right now.   
  
He scooches himself near the taller man next to him so they are barely an inch or two apart, he’s hesitant with his actions but he gives into the urges and gently rests his head onto Michael’s shoulder   
  
They sit there for a few moments before Jake can feel Michaels hand dragging along his own wrist. Michael gently holds Jake, he’s Interlocking their fingers like before.   
  
Jake’s eyes dart down and he looks at their connected hands, Michael’s hands are large and comforting.   
  
Jake swallows really hard, he has this overwhelming feeling in his chest that he can’t quite make out.   
  
Jake leans in closer to Michael and he can feel the taller man lean his own head on top of his.   
  
They sit there, holding one another as they watch the crow regain its strength and eventually fly off into the moonlight and Jake can’t help but think that maybe Michael isn’t such a bad guy after all.   
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, Jake is an absolute fool. am I right? LOL
> 
> Thanks so much for reading and all the lovely comment AND ALSO for over 200 Kudos! I cannot believe that. you guys are too sweet to me <3
> 
> See you next update~


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a feeling... yall are gonna hate me in the beginning, then love me near the end, then hate me all over again. LOL

It’s only been well over a week since establishing his friendship with Michael and Jake is struggling with a bunch of mixed feelings because of it.   
  
It’s unordinary to have a relationship with a killer and he’s still trying to find a way to process it, it’s nice to think that Michael has possibly turned over a new leaf and wants to be better than he was before he got here. Jake is open for second chances.   
  
But he still can’t help but think of the way he treats his fellow survivors, especially Laurie. There is still tension between the two and Jake wonders if he should cut ties with Michael for the sake of one of his good friends.   
  
He refuses to admit that he enjoys the killer's company and finds comfort in the times they spend together. Jake is still thinking about Michael’s hand interlocked with his own, It’s intimate and Jake has never been one for touching but there is something about the way Michael does it that makes Jake feel a bit smitten.   
  
When his fellow survivors embrace him in a hug or interact with him it’s more out of excitement and happens so abruptly. Jake is coming to realize that he might like the simpler aspects of being tender with someone. Maybe it’s even the rush that he shouldn’t be doing it that makes him enjoy it so much more.   
  
He’s always liked going against the grain and being with Michael is just that. But his feelings are so caught up in Lauries past that he feels like he can’t be fond of what he currently has with Michael without thinking about her.   
  
He trusts and believes Lauries stories about her life before everything, Jake just wishes he could show her that maybe Michael is different now and maybe they could get along as well as he does with him. He wonders if even Michael will allow that to happen.   
  
“I’m so glad I didn’t get called today,” Laurie huffs out a laugh, she’s leaning back onto her hands. She’s sitting next to Jake on one of the broken pieces of wood scattered around the campfire.   
  
The others had just been consumed by the fog a few minutes ago and Jake and Laurie got lucky enough to stay behind.    
  
“I don’t know what the entity has been doing to them, but haven’t you noticed that the killers have been more brutal as of late?” She questions him and Jake isn’t entirely sure he agrees or knows how to respond. He’s been a little scatter brained as of late.   
  
“I didn’t notice, no” He says quietly.   
  
“Jake you were in the trial the other day with the nurse,” She continues with another laugh.   
  
“She wasn’t that bad,” He adds.   
  
“Jake, she literally wouldn’t leave Nea alone, you heard her say that after the trial. You were there, didn’t you see it?” She says in a confusing tone.   
  
“Maybe Nea did something to piss her off?” Jake replies. He’s not making shots at the woman, he’s just looking at it from a different angle.   
  
Laurie laughs, “Oh yeah, it must have been the way she was trying to survive?” She gently punches his arm and Jake looks over at her, his face isn’t quite what she was hoping for.   
  
“You’re joking, right?” She nervously questions him.   
  
“Don’t you ever think about the possibilities of our own actions becoming a factor in how everything plays out?” Jake says to her and Laurie knits her brows together, she’s confused.   
  
“Jake, our goal is to get out of there alive. So what if we have to play a certain way to do that?” She’s baffled by Jake’s words right now.   
  
“Our actions have to have some type of consequences, don’t you think?” He wonders and Laurie is giving him another puzzled look.   
  
“I mean, I guess they might? But if those actions mean we won’t have to be sacrificed then I don’t see what the problem is?” she’s lifting her hands up in a questioning manner.    
  
Jake adjusts his position on the log, he’s looking away from her now as he speaks, “I just wonder if this is all the entity's doings.”   
  
“The entities doings??” She pauses. “Of course it is, Jake are you okay?” She finishes.   
  
“Yeah… It’s just… Don’t you ever think that maybe they can think of something other than brutality?” He says just louder than a whisper.   
  
“T-t-the killers?” she stutters out.   
  
He’s sitting up straighter now, he turns his body in her direction to get a better look at her, “Yeah, like do you think that they are being brainwashed into doing all of these bad things?”    
  
“I don’t think so” She responds.   
  
“Well, how do you know that for sure?” He retaliates. “Because you don’t,” He finishes and Laurie eyes go wide and her mouth opens up, she’s at a loss for words.   
  
“Michael wasn’t a good person before all of this,” She says flatly and Jake can feel a little hint of guilt pooling in his chest from her comment.   
  
“But don’t you think people can change?” He says and Laurie gives him a disgusted look.   
  
“Do you even hear yourself right now?” She says, her voice is getting louder than normal.   
  
“Killers being good people?? But they still choose to hurt us, murder us and hunt us for sport??” She’s listing off everything on her right hand fingers.   
  
“Jake, I had to live through fucking hell with Michael even before getting sucked into this god forsaken world. Do you really think someone as evil as him could all of a sudden wake up one day and say ‘I’m going to be a better person?” She pauses. “And, and what??? I’m supposed to just be okay with everything he’s done to me, my friends and my family?” She finishes.   
  
“I’m not saying that whatever these killers have done in their lives outside of here was all good, I’m just saying that what if they actually have some of a conscience outside of the brainwashing and that they can actually be aware of everything?” He questions out loud.   
  
Laurie’s face is twisted up in an un-orderly fashion, she looks sick after what Jake has said.   
  
“Are you sure you’re not being brainwashed by the entity?” She spits back at him and Jake knits his brows together at the comment.   
  
“I’m just trying to look at the bigger picture here,” He confesses.   
  
“What bigger picture, Jake?” She yells, she’s standing up now, arms spread at her sides as Jake looks up to her.   
  
“Did you get knocked out harder than I thought in yesterday's trial? You got sacrificed, did you not? How can you say that killers are ‘good people’ if they still do that to you?” she confronts him.   
  
Jake recalls the trial just fine, he knows the Entity clears you of all your wounds before you come back to the campfire. Michael has just opened the possibilities to something he never thought could be reality and he wonders if any of the other killers could do the same.    
  
He thinks he’s thinking clearer than ever because of that and he wishes Laurie could do the same.   
  
“I’m not saying that all of them are good people, I just wonder if some of them don’t have to be,” He says back at her, his voice raised a few notches.   
  
“What are you even talking about right now?” Her hands are up in a pleading motion and Jake just wants her to understand where he is coming from.   
  
“I’m just saying that, what if some of these killers can make their own decision, that they actually have a mind of their own. If we know that the Entity is probably brainwashing them, what if there are some that can overcome it and…. I don't know, not kill?” He says, his hands are mirroring hers.   
  
“You’re talking about Michael aren’t you?” She says flatly and Jake can feel his heart fall deep into his stomach at her words.    
  
Does she know? He thinks to himself.   
  
“I-I’m talking about all of them, not just him!” He stutters out.   
  
“But he’s the one who started these ridiculous thoughts or am I wrong?” she shouts back at him and Jake doesn’t blink.   
  
“These killers? These evil beings? They can’t think of anything other than cruelty. They are vile beasts” She continues with her point.   
  
“I told you from the start that Michael fucks with you, it’s what he does. He plays these foul games. He gets inside your brain and makes you believe all of kinds of stupid thoughts, he makes you paranoid to even go outside, he makes you afraid of being alone, he fucks you up for the rest of your life!!” She shouts.   
  
“I know it because I lived it, Jake! Why can’t you understand that he’s fucking with you. Why are you allowing him to get in your head like that. He lets you out of a few trials and then, what? You become some fucking killer apologist?” She’s screaming now, her mouth is dry and Jake is already regretting even having this conversation.   
  
“IT’S NOT JUST BECAUSE OF HIM!” Jake shrieks back, his voice cracks, he’s standing up now. They are a few inches apart.   
  
“Why after all this time?? Why the change of heart? Huh?’ She balls her hands up in tight fists and holds them at her sides.   
  
“Don’t you ever want to believe that maybe in some way, things could be different? For the better?” He’s throwing his hands up in the air as he speaks.   
  
“Instead of just living in the past?” He shouts and Laurie's eyes grow wide.   
  
“So what, you’re defending him now?” she snaps.   
  
Jake knows that what she is saying is true, but he would never admit it to her. He decides he’s going to lie his way out of this argument.   
  
“Why do you think I’m defending him?? I’m speaking generally, about ALL of the killers. I just wonder if maybe they can be something more than they already are. Something good?!” He calls out.   
  
Laurie places her hands onto the sides of her head in disbelief, “How can you even say that to me?”   
  
“He fucking killed everyone I love and you’re going to stand here and tell me that ‘maybe they aren’t bad people and maybe they can be something good’?” She screams.   
  
“You’re taking this personally, you’re focusing on all the wrong things right now, Laurie” He shouts back.   
  
“What am I missing then Jake, huh?” She gently pushes at his arm, he walks back a few steps.   
  
“You’re just not listening to me!” He replies.   
  
“I’m listening to everything that you’re saying right now and you’re telling me that you think I should forgive him!”   
  
“I NEVER SAID THAT!” his hands fly into the air.   
  
“We are different from one another, Jake. You had the choice to lose your family and friends while I had mine taken away from me.”   
  
Jake winces at what she says, he’s battling with his own thoughts right now and he wishes he never brought this up to her. He understands where she is coming from, he feels selfish for trying to make her believe otherwise.   
  
Jake doesn’t know how to proceed any further with this conversation, his heart is racing like crazy and he’s not sure if it’s rage or fear of her finding out about his relationship with Michael. So he panics and goes for instinct.   
  
“I think I should leave you alone,” He says as he turns around and starts making his way past the logs.   
  
“Yeah, go run away Jake. You’re good at that!” She snaps and Jake looks over his shoulder and watches as she turns her back on him and sits back down onto the crooked piece of wood.   
  
Jake knits his brows together, his heart is beating at a rapid pace in his chest as he trudges his way out to his little hideout.   
  
He’s replaying the conversation in his head as he walks his way down the dirt path, his arms are crossed over his chest and he’s looking down at his feet. He doesn’t need to look up to know the route to the willow tree.   
  
He finds his way to the opening and pauses for a moment, He gets the feeling he’s not alone. He’s looking up at the evergreen and watches as Michael sits perched up on the log, staring in his direction.   
  
He’s not sure if this is good timing or not. He’s fighting the feeling of being glad that Michael is sitting across from him and struggling with the idea that him being here could cause him more internal struggle.   
  
Jake looks down, he’s tapping his foot, arms still crossed firmly across his chest. He’s breathing extremely heavy.   
  
He’s taking this moment to think about everything, he wonders if he’s allowed to confide in Michael about what's going on.    
  
He looks in Michael's direction and at the exact moment Michael tilts his head to the side, Jake untangles his arms and starts running his hand through his hair.   
  
“It’s so fucking stupid, okay?” He angrily says.   
  
“I’m just confused and pissed off and even more confused,” He drags a hand down his face.   
  
“I’m caught up between a god damn rock and a hard place and I don’t know what the fuck to do,” He starts pacing now.   
  
“I want to trust my good friend, she tells me things that make so much fucking sense. But those things that are supposed to be true are contradicting themselves and I don’t know what the fuck to believe.” Michael patiently watches as Jake walks from left to right as he pours out his feelings.   
  
“I feel like I have to pick a side!” He yells out.   
  
“I’m so fucking tired of fighting with myself every god damn day with this,” He’s placing his hands back onto his head.   
  
“How can you believe someone while seeing the exact opposite of what you say you believe in?”   
  
“Nothing adds up,” He shouts.   
  
He’s still upset about earlier, he hasn’t come down from the high yet. His heart is still hammering in his chest.   
  


“I’m trying to understand it all and you being here is only making it worse.” He spits out, he’s turning around and looking at Michael now.   
  
Michael reaches his hand out into the air and Jake looks down at it. He swallows.   
  
“NO!” He shouts.   
  
“Why don’t you ever say anything?”    
  
“Why are you so nice to me all the time and then go and treat my friends like shit?”    
  
“Why can’t you just be mean to me like you do everyone else? Why do you have to treat me so differently?” He’s raising his arms up in the air.   
  
“Make my life easier and stop,” He yells.   
  
“JUST STOP!”    
  
Michael is still looking at him, his hand is still hovering in front of Jake. Jake looks down at the gesture then back up to Michael's face. He’s balling his fists up and dropping them at his sides.   
  
Michael lifts his hand up higher and stretches a little further in his direction and Jake scrunches up his face at the movement.   
  
He realizes he is overthinking right now.   
  
He takes in a few shaky breaths, Jake lifts his left hand up and hovers over Michaels for a second before gently placing it down on top of the taller man’s considerably large hands.   
  
Michael bends his fingers a little and gently tugs Jake towards him, Jake follows the motion and steps a little closer. Michael brings up his other hand for Jake to hold and Jake complies.   
  
Jake is still breathing heavy, his head is spinning and he’s feeling a little dizzy right now. He looks down and watches as Michael rubs his thumbs along the top of his hands.   
  
The gesture is comforting and Jake can feel the motion grounding him a bit more. He can slowly feel his heart rate coming down.   
  
“I’m…. I’m sorry” He whispers, his head is still looking down. Jake has always had a hard time with his emotions, he tends to bottle things up to the point of boiling over and he can feel himself finally slowly fizzling out.   
  
His anger is misdirected to all parties, he’s still confused about everything. He cares about Laurie a lot and doesn’t want to betray her, but he’s found a nice companion in Michael and doesn’t want to lose him as well.   
  


“I just don’t know what to do,” He quietly says to himself.   
  
Jake can feel a warm hand underneath his chin, Michael is lifting Jake’s head up to look at him. Jake follows the motion and watches as Michael tilts his head to the side in what seems to be a gesture of understanding.   
  
His presence is comforting and Jake has a million thoughts running through his mind, He’s taking in a few ragged breaths.   
  
Michael’s hand falls back down, reconnecting with Jake’s again.   
  
Jake gives him a sorrowful look and bites his lip, he can still feel Michael rubbing his thumbs along the top side of his hands to calm him.   
  
They stare at each other for a little bit too long, Jake's thoughts are running rampant right now. All he can think about is Michael's company and how it makes him feel. There is something about Michael that makes Jake feel a little more at peace with everything.   
  
He can feel that ping in his chest again as he looks at Michael.   
  
Jake slowly pulls his right hand away from him and gently places it on the side of Michael’s face. They stare at each other for a few seconds before Jake closes his eyes and quickly leans forward and kisses him.   
  
Jake inhales the smell of the latex mask as he smashes their lips together. Michael is hesitant for a second before he quickly wraps his arms around Jake’s waist and pulls him closer.   
  
Jake keeps one hand on his cheek and wraps his other around Michael’s neck.   
  
They kiss for only a few moments before Jake’s eyes grow wide at his own actions and he is throwing himself out of Michael’s arms. He has a frightened look on his face as he swallows hard, a dark tint of red dusted across his face.   
  
“I… Uhhh…” He stutters.   
  
“Fuck!” He lets out, he’s covering his mouth and starts backing away. Michael stands up and reaches out as he watches Jake nearly trip.   
  
Jake catches himself before any impact, he lets out a strained noise as he quickly runs his way out of the opening and back to the campfire as fast as he can.   
  
Michael is left standing out in the forest by himself, a vacant look on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the drama?!!!!! 
> 
> This whole story was inspired by this one drawing I made a bit ago, I knew I eventually wanted to get to a scene like this in here!  
> You can check it out if you would like---
> 
> <https://deannabeltonart.tumblr.com/post/613243744919158784/the-entity-allows-1-kiss-under-the-moonlight-per>
> 
> Thanks for all the love and comments on this fic and as always, thanks for reading~ 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for holding this chapter hostage for so long!   
> I was struggling with drafting chp 13 and wanted a better idea before posting this one
> 
> NOTE: This one has a lot going on and is kind of gruesome at some point and it also has a lot of panicking, so just be careful when reading!

He’s sitting at the campfire with Dwight, he was going on about the possibilities of other weapons coming into the world from other killers. Something about a hatchet that can be thrown from across the realms. They already exist in the lockers, they might be a sign to future possibilities.

Dwight's predictions have always been rather good when it comes to the Entity. He’s been here the longest and Jake wonders if the evil speaks to him more so than the others.

The conversation has settled a while ago as Jake and Dwight sit next to each other on the ground in front of the campfire, Jake is feeling a little antsy right now. He hasn’t seen Michael since the incident.

Jake’s memory is a blur from it all, he’s not exactly sure what came over him that day. He feels like it had something to do with Laurie's words, Jake has always been one to rebel and go against what's normal and something about Laurie telling him ‘no’ made something in him go ‘yes.’

He’s still caught up in how he felt, his heart beating at a rapid pace, his hands were clammy. But something about being able to touch the latex mask with his hands, to gently hold Michaels face, to kiss him.

Jake can feel himself getting butterflies at the thought of ever doing that again. He’s not exactly sure what this does to their friendship now. Jake wonders if Michael will still want to be friends after what he’s done.

He is feeling a little embarrassed at the thought of seeing him again, he’s not exactly sure what excuse he can come up with for why he kissed him.

Jake’s not even fully sure why he did it anyway.

‘It was just a rebellious act against Laurie’s words, to prove to her that Killers and survivors can be friends’ is what he’s telling himself.

Jake looks over at Dwight; he has his arms crossed, head down on his chest, his eyes are closed and if Jake listened close enough he could probably hear him snoring.

He takes in a deep sigh as he looks back at the campfire.

Jake notices something from the corner of his eye, he figures it might be a crow. He doesn’t bother thinking too much of it before he’s pulling his legs up to his chest and holds onto himself.

He decides he’s going to join Dwight in a little nap until the others get back.

It’s not until Jake gets the feeling that something is watching him, he hears a few branches snap behind them. Dwight adjusts himself next to Jake and Jake looks over at him as he sits up and looks in Jake’s direction, eyes half lidded.

“How many cups of sugar does it take to get to the moon?” Dwight asks with a sloppy smile on his face.

Jake looks at him in confusion, “Uhhhhhh three and a half?” he replies. Dwight continues to stare at him before flopping back down and falling back asleep.

Jake gives him a pained expression before looking behind him and glancing out into the forest. He wonders if Michael is out there waiting for him and that's what he is feeling right now.

Jake watches as he sees a shadow go running by deep within the trees. He decides he’s not going to sit and wonder and instead go check it out.

He’s not sure if it’s Michael or something else, but he’s feeling confident right now and wants to face his fears head on.

He stands up and walks past Dwight, gently patting his shoulder as he makes his way around, “Sleep tight buddy” he says. 

Dwight hums in response.

Jake starts making his way into the forest, it feels like the day he first found Michael outside of a trial, when he returned his scarf. He has the same suspicions about something being in here. He’s not sure what it could be.

He’s looking behind the rocks and trees scattered around the land, when he sees something sitting on a tree up ahead of him. He slowly walks over to the big red wood and watches as a monarch butterfly gently flaps its wings.

Jake is confused on how something like this could have gotten into this world, he’s never seen anything but crows.

He reaches out to touch it before it flies away. Jake watches in amazement as it flutters off into the distance. 

He can’t shake the feeling that he should follow it.

So he does.

It flaps its wings and Jake can’t help but watch it’s movements as he walks behind the insect.

It guides him to his hideout, when he comes to the opening the butterfly moves up towards the sky and Jake is left wide eyed at the sight.

There is a kaleidoscope of butterflies swarming all around the open space above Jake, his mouth is opened wide as he watches. They start dancing around him and Jake can’t help but smile.

He’s spinning now, his hands are playing with the bugs as they move around him. Jake sees something from the corner of his eyes, a shadow moves off in the distance and it startles him a little.

He notices that everything is starting to get darker, the willow tree isn’t in line of sight, the tall redwoods are becoming less noticeable.

The butterflies are still making their rounds before suddenly a few of them stop and fall to the ground. 

Jake watches as they all slowly land on the dirt, some are twitching as they lay there and Jake isn’t sure what to make of it all.

They are all dying in front of him.

Everything goes black.

Jake can hear faint crying behind him, he spins on his heels and off in the distance there is a child's crib. 

It’s bright white, there is a little mobile spinning on top of it. It’s too far away for Jake to make out anything inside but he can hear a baby crying.

A little boy runs into Jake’s field of view, he jumps back at the sight. The boy is short and has wispy dirty blonde hair, he’s dressed in a worn out clown costume, his hands are behind his back.

He stands in front of Jake, they make eye contact for a few moments before Jake decides to speak, “Who are you?”

The boy tilts his head to the side before bringing his right hand up, he has what looks like a kitchen knife in his hand. Jake gives him a worried look.

The boy smiles at him before running off to the crib and Jake feels rooted to the ground right now. He doesn’t have a good feeling about what might happen, but he can’t seem to move right now.

The child runs up to the crib, the baby starts crying even louder. He looks back at Jake and lifts his knife up and Jake’s eyes grow wide.

“NO!” He yells, he’s starting to run forward.

The baby starts screaming and Jake watches as the child reaches back with the knife and starts diving forward, Jake doesn’t have time to process if anything else happens because he trips and falls.

He’s splashing into water now, Jake has always been a good swimmer so he’s attempting to move his body up towards the surface. His hands are circling at his sides, but he’s not moving anywhere.

He’s sinking.

Jake is feeling a little light headed, he exhales under the water. Bubbles come spilling out of his mouth. His arms are starting to flail as he struggles to find the top.

He can feel himself hitting the bottom of whatever he might be in, the water comes down from all levels and pours over Jake like rain as it hits the floor and dissipates. 

Jake starts coughing up water, he’s trying to catch his breath. He’s sucking in as much air as he can right now. He has his fist in a tight ball as he’s hitting his own chest.

He manages to steady his breathing, he’s soaked to the bone. He’s brushing his wet hair out of his face and looks up.

Michael is standing there in front of him, he’s looking down at him. Jake would be lying to himself if he wasn’t relieved to see a familiar face right now.

“Michael” Jake whispers.

Michael reaches his hand out towards Jake to help him up and Jake lets out a sigh of relief. He goes to reach for it, but he is too far away. He’s trying to sit up but he feels sewn to the ground. 

“I can’t…” He’s struggling in his position, with every movement he makes he feels further away.

“I can’t reach you!” He yells out as Michael's hand drops to his side. 

Jake’s getting frustrated at his lack of control right now, he finally stops fighting with the urge to sit up and looks up at Michael. Michael is standing there watching Jake.

Jake looks up at the pale face and watches as blood comes streaming down Michael’s eyes.

“You… You’re bleeding” Jake says as Michael tilts his head to the side.

“You’re hurt!” Jake calls out.

Michael puts his head down and lets the blood drip onto his own hands, he’s watching them for a few moments before looking back up at Jake.

There is no expression on that mask but Jake gets the feeling that something isn’t right.

“Let me help you!” Jake exclaims.

Michael starts walking backwards away from Jake and Jake starts trying to get up, he manages to stand up. He takes one step forward before falling onto his knees.

“COME BACK!” He yells, he’s reaching his hand out in Michaels direction.

“Please, don’t go!” He watches as Michael stops moving, blood is still pouring out of the dark mask eye sockets.

Jake can see something forming behind Michael, it’s creeping up from the black surrounding him. It looks like the entity's hands, Jake can recognize those spider limbs anywhere.

They slowly start wrapping themselves around Michael’s limbs and Jake can’t do anything but watch.

They look like they have a tight grip on him and Michael’s head drops to his chest.

“S-s-stop!” Jake calls out, he’s still sitting on his hands and knees.

The limbs are more fluid than they are in trials, something closer to an octopus tentacle. They continue to wrap around Michaels body. 

“LET HIM GO!” Jake yells.

He’s trying to get closer to Michael to help him, every time he stands up and takes a step he feels himself getting thrown to the ground, back onto his hands and knees.

Jake looks up at Michael, the Entity is starting to pull at his limbs. Jake is at a far distance from what's going on but he can hear Michael’s breath getting heavy. It’s making Jake’s own heart race.

“What are you doing to him?” Jake calls out.

He watches in horror as Michael’s left arm gets ripped from his body. Blood comes spilling out and lands onto the ground beneath him.

“NO!” Jake screams.

Jake can feel his chest getting tighter as he watches one of Michaels legs get torn off from his body. He can feel his eyes welling up with tears as he watches.

“PLEASE!” he manages to get out, he’s attempting to crawl over to Michael. He’s getting closer and closer, tears running down his face.

Blood continues to pour onto the ground in front of Jake as Michael’s body gets torn into pieces.

“STOP!” Jake cries out, he’s made his way in front of the horrific sight.

The tentacle slices open Michael’s neck and blood goes flying out all over Jake. Jake averts his eyes down as he continues to cry.

“No, no, no, no” Jake sobs, he’s sitting back on his knees, hands covering his own face.

He can feel himself crying.

“Jake!” A voice can be heard off in the distance.

“Jake!” The voice is getting louder.

Jake pulls his hands away from his body and watches as blood pours down his gloves.

“Jake, it’s okay” the voice continues.

He looks up.

“L-Laurie?” he stutters.

“He can’t hurt you anymore,” she says with a smile. She reaches her hand forward to help Jake up.

Jake looks back down at his bloody hands before looking up at Laurie’s in front of him. He starts lifting his hand up to reach for her but her hand retreats and she’s letting out a gasp.

Jake looks up at her with wide eyes. She’s standing there, eyes gaping open as blood starts spilling out of her mouth. She gurgles a few times before collapsing in front of Jake.

“LAURIE, NO!!” Jake screams.

Jake can see that boy in the clown suit again as Laurie falls to the ground, he’s standing behind her, that same kitchen knife in his hand but covered in blood this time.

“Why would you do that?” Jake yells, he’s sucking in a breath of air. His chest is still in pain and he feels like he can’t breath.

Jake looks down at Laurie, her eyes are open and lifeless and Jake is starting to feel sick.

“Please, no!”

“Please, no!”

“Please, no!”

He cries out, his breathing is becoming shallow as he pushes his legs up to his chest and covers his head with his arms.

He can start to hear a whisper. He’s not sure what it's saying, it's too faint. The whispering starts to get louder and Jake curls in on himself even more.

“How slowly life can move when you’re dead” a voice mutters

“D-d-dead?” Jake stutters

“I’M NOT DEAD!” He yells out.

“Look around you” The voice murmurs, Jake slowly looks up now and watches as the black room around him turns into mirrors. He stares at his own reflection in shock.

“Why cant you be more like your brother?” A voice calls out and Jake looks over in its direction.

“W-w-what?” Jake whispers.

“He graduated top of his class and what have you done?” A man's voice calls out.

“JAKE, GET INSIDE. NOW” yells a woman.

“Stop playing in the dirt, you don’t know what kind of animals or bugs have been in there” The voices are getting louder now.

“Leave me alone” Jake is repeating to himself, he’s still looking around him but all he can see is his petrified reflection staring back at him.

“Can’t stop talking to animals because they are the only friends you’ll ever have, huh?” A collection of laughter follows after.

“Can you stop getting into fights, you think that's going to get you anywhere?” another angry voice calls out.

“You’re a delinquent is what you are, if you keep this up you’ll never amount to anything” says a stern voice.

“Can’t you see he’s fucking with you, Jake?” a familiar voice calls out.

“Jake”

“Jake”

“Jake” 

The voices chant in a mantra 

“STOP!” Jake yells, tears streaming down his face as he calls out again “I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME?”

The mirrors start getting closer and closer. The room is shrinking and Jake starts moving backwards.

“No, no, no!” He says, he’s trying to prevent the room from squishing him. He’s pushing his body against it to keep it from shrinking.

The voices continue to chant his name as the mirrored room gets smaller and smaller. Jake’s heart continues to race and he’s going into a panic again. The room is closing in on him, he can barely move.

“Let go, Jake park” A voice whispers as Jake screams. The mirrors shatter before he’s waking up in a cold sweat.

He lets out a large gasp as he sits in an upright position. He quickly places a hand on his chest in an attempt to steady his breathing.

He takes a moment to look around him. He’s sitting up under the willow tree, a few crows scattered around him down near his feet.

Jake’s eyes are wide and his heart is racing a mile a minute. He’s thinking about everything that just happened. He’s still trying to calm down, a hand still on his chest.

He takes one good look around before he takes in a deep breath and attempts to stand on his feet.

His head is spinning and he feels like falling over, but he manages to steady himself with the help of the evergreen next to him.

He doesn’t want to be alone in the forest right now, he feels an unnerving presence and the last person he wants to see is Michael right now. So he decides to make his way back to the campfire.

On his journey back he takes the time to think about what just happened, he’s still a bit shaky from it all. He wonders if the dream is the Entity giving him a sign.

He thinks his current actions may cause pain to the people he cares about, he has a horrible feeling sitting in his chest right now but he can’t help but feel like he knows the answer to what he needs to do.

He’s made a mistake of befriending Michael, if he continues the relationship he could risk hurting Laurie and the Entity seems to be telling him to cut ties or it’ll hurt him too and the last thing Jake wants is to have anything bad happen to Michael.

If you care about something enough you’ll let it go. 

So Jake decides he is going to stop seeing Michael, he doesn’t think it’s a good idea anymore and if his actions from yesterday are already affecting him today. He can’t imagine what else might happen if he continues any further with him.

He’s not even sure Michael would want to see him after what he did. They are supposed to be friends and he might have made things complicated by kissing him.

Jake knows the dream was a sign and he doesn’t want to play the Entity’s games. He doesn’t want anyone getting hurt because of what he did.

Jake starts rubbing his arms as he slowly makes his way back to the campfire. He comes to the opening and pauses for a moment.

He can see that familiar head of blonde hair facing towards the fire, Jake swallows hard. He hasn’t spoken to her since their fight yesterday and he doesn’t want any bad blood between them.

He wants to let her know that he’s sorry, that he won’t be having any of those ridiculous thoughts anymore, he agrees with her for the sake of everyone's safety. 

His mind is a lot clearer after waking up, he’s going to do what's right this time.

Jake carefully makes his way over to the lit wood sitting in the center of the opening and takes a seat next to Laurie.

He’s not making eye contact with her, he’s playing with his thumbs to distract himself.

“Hey” She casually says.

It’s quiet and Jake doesn’t respond.

“Are you okay?” she questions him.

Silence falls between them for a moment before Jake decides to speak, “I’m sorry for being an asshole about everything yesterday” he says to her.

Laurie's eyes grow wide at his words, he’s still not looking at her. He doesn’t want to look her in the eyes right now.

“It was selfish of me to try to make you think that way. You’re right, you were always right. I wasn’t thinking straight about everything. I don’t know what came over me.. I’m… I’m sorry” He stutters, he’s not being entirely honest with her right now. He still strongly believes that things could be different between killers and survivors. 

He doesn’t believe that there could be world peace out here, but he does think that there is a possibility that the killers can overcome the Entity and be their own person. Capable of something more than just hurt and pain.

“Jake” Laurie whispers, her voice is tiny and comforting.

“You don’t have to apologize for anything.” She pauses.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you.” She finishes, she’s gently placing her hand on his shoulder and he flinches a little at her touch.

“I guess we were both just passionate about things” She says with a huff of a laugh.

“I guess so,” He joins in on the laughter, it’s pained and unnatural.

“You’re a really good friend of mine Jake, I don't want to fight with you. I care about you a lot” She says to him, she’s shaking his shoulder a little.

“I don’t want to fight with you either” he whispers.

“I just think you’re overthinking things a bit too much, maybe getting ideas that aren’t really there” She wearly says and Jake knows she is trying to help him understand how she sees things. He’s still hesitant about fully agreeing with her. But the Entity has given him a sign, so he has no other choice but to listen. 

“I think so too” He lies.

“Are you alright?” she has a concerned look on her face and Jake still refuses to make eye contact. He knows he isn’t doing fine at all, but the last thing he wants to do is tell the truth.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me” he darts his eyes in her direction before looking back at the fire.

“Jake you’re my friend” She says with a laugh

“I’m always going to worry about you.” She finishes, she’s schooching herself closer to him and reaches down and slips her hand into his. Jake flinches a little at her movements but he lets her interlock their fingers together.

She places her head on his shoulder and starts rubbing her thumb gently in circles on his hand and Jake feels a dull ache in his chest at her actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls don't hate me.
> 
> Jake is valid for feeling this way and he just thinks he's doing the right thing. He'll realize soon enough, be patient with him.
> 
> Thank you guys so much for reading and commenting and wtf?? 250 kudos. I swear we just hit 200 not that long ago.. goodness gracious Q_Q
> 
> I love yall! <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the shortest trial chapter I've written...but I only needed one little scene to happen out of this whole thing. But you gotta make it interesting :p
> 
> enjoy~

Jake’s blinking his eyes, he’s taking in his surroundings. A new trial has started and he’s been placed up in the corner of the realm.   
  
He can see a few trees scattered around the area, some old broken swing polls sitting diagonally across from each other.   
  
Jake has been in the realm of Haddonfield a numerous times now and something about it this time makes him feel a bit melancholic.   
  
He starts walking along the side of a fence, a boarded up house resides inside of the confinements of the wood.   
  
He can see a few piles of concrete blocks lined up in an un-orderly fashion at the end of the street.    
  
Jake blinks a few times as he watches the unoccupied cop car’s lights spin around and around. The light is blinding as Jake continues to look around past the beams.    
  
He quickly ducks down behind the vehicle as he watches Michael make his way out of a few boxed in hedges. Jake can feel a pain in his chest, his heart is already racing. He’s trying to ignore the guilt he has and focus on something else. He can hear the faint voices from the radio in the automobile playing.   
  
They haven’t seen each other inside or outside of a trial in a couple of days, Jake has made a point of not going out in the forest to avoid being with him.    
  
He feared the day he would have to be in a trial with him, he hasn't come clean yet about why he’s been ignoring him. He wonders if Michael can take a hint without Jake having to say anything.   
  
He prays that maybe things will be different and Michael will start treating him like how he does his fellow survivors. Jake can’t say he is looking forward to that if that’s the case, but he knows it’s what the Entity wants.   
  
He peaks over and watches as Michael makes his way down the street and into one of the open garages.    
  
Jake swallows hard, he’s not sure how this trial is going to go and he would be lying to himself if he wasn’t a bit nervous right now.   
  
Jake stands up and starts making his way over to a house near the corner of the map, the lights are blinking inside which means a generator is sitting somewhere in there that needs to be fixed.   
  
He notices an exit gate sitting on the right side of the house, he makes a note of the location. He walks into the garage of the building, he’s dragging his hand along the green truck sitting inside the opening.   
  
He steadily moves down the set of stairs near the back of the port, he finds his way to the basement.    
  
There is a generator perched up in the left hand corner, Jake’s mind is too scattered to think about wanting to fix generators right now. He’s just standing there looking at the yellow topped piece of metal.   
  
“I don’t think looking at it is going to fix it,” a giggle can be heard from behind him.   
  
Jake turns around, a familiar face smiles at him. Claudette is adjusting her glasses as she walks between the stairs and the wall.   
  
Jake huffs out a laugh, “Yeah, I’m just not in the mood I guess.”   
  
“I don’t blame you, it’s tedious work,” she joins him in laughter.   
  
“Did you want me to get started?” She asks him, she’s walking over to the engine now. She bends down at her knees and starts fiddling with the insides.   
  
Jake notices a dull totem tucked in a pile of garbage near the generator, he decides he’s not going to render himself completely useless right now.   
  
He can hear the generator start pumping to his right as he gently places his hands on the totem.   
  
“So how's it going with you and Megs?” Jake questions, he darts his eyes over in her direction. He can see a dark tint creep up on her cheeks and she smiles. She’s not looking at Jake, her eyes are focused on the generator in front of her.   
  
“It’s going good,” She nervously laughs.   
  
“She’s really nice and I like her a lot,” She says with a smile and Jake can’t help but return it.    
  
“But we haven’t made it official yet. Just kind of taking it one day at a time” She’s honest with him and Jake can respect that.   
  
“Slow and steady wins the race” Jake laughs, he’s pulling apart the bones and skulls as they talk.   
  
“I notice you’ve been spending a lot of time at the campfire recently, everything okay?” She asks him, Jake freezes in place and takes in a gulp.   
  
He’s already nervous right now and thinking about how someone has already noticed his strange behaviour isn’t sitting right with him. It hasn’t been that long since he’s made a point of hanging around the others more, but it’s enough that she is already starting to question it.   
  
Jake wonders if there is some way he can avoid any more concern.   
  
“Oh yeah. Don’t worry about me. I think I Just need a change of scenery is all” Jake laughs it off, he’s trying to make light of this conversation.   
  
“Change is always good,” Claudette adds.   
  
“But you’re okay?” She finishes, a concerned look on her face. Jake gives her a pained expression before speaking “Yeah… I’ve just been…” He pauses. He’s hesitant about telling her that something is wrong, he knows he can trust her but he’s unsure of how he can somehow lie about the truth.   
  
“Jake?” She questions him and Jake coughs.    
  
“I’ve been…” he pauses again, “Having a lot of nightmares lately” what he says isn’t entirely true but it’s a good enough excuse that Claudette buys it.    
  
He knows that Michael has been out there watching him while he’s at the campfire. He can feel him and something about that scares Jake even more. The fear of him coming to confront him with the others there. He hopes that he respects the boundaries enough to not do that.    
  
“I’m sorry to hear that,” She says with a pout. “Have you always had nightmares?”   
  
“Huh?” Jake manages to get out, he finally breaks the totem and it collapses into pieces onto the ground.   
  
“Like growing up, were you always having nightmares as a kid?” She asks him, the generator is picking up the pace. She’s already far along enough that Jake thinks she can finish it without him.   
  
He walks over to the set of stairs near the generator and takes a seat. Claudette doesn’t question the lack of help.   
  
“Uhhh… They’ve just been kind of happening lately and it’s a lot nicer waking up next to people than alone in a forest” He’s lying again. He would prefer to be alone.   
  
“You know, my mom was always good with deciphering dreams growing up. I had a lot of strange dreams myself and I would say I’m not bad at it either” She says with a giggle.   
  
“Do you think dreams have meanings?” She asks him, she looks over her shoulder in his direction.   
  
“Well, I think there has to be a reason for some of what happens in them,” He replies, he’s placing his elbows on his knees and looking over at her.   
  
“Can you tell me more about the dreams?” She questions him and Jake isn’t entirely sure he knows what she wants to hear.   
  
“Any dream?” he asks.   
  
“Yeah, any dream!” she replies, her voice is a lot chipper and Jake gets the feeling that this is something she’s interested in.   
  
“Well there was a recurring one I had growing up, I only ever remember that I'm standing there,” He pauses, he’s trying to recall if there are any important details that could help.   
  
“I’m just there, but there is gum on the roof of my mouth and I end up reaching for it and I’m trying to get it out”   
  
Claudette hums in response.   
  
“I pull and pull and pull, it just never comes out. Like it’s just stuck in my mouth, my throat hurts from it but I can’t get it out” He finishes.   
  
“Can you speak with it in your mouth?”   
  
“No”   
  
Claudette thinks for a moment, she pauses her actions on the generator and looks back at him, “What do you think it means?” she asks him with a bit of a smirk on her face.   
  
Jake gives her a confused look, “I don’t know, that I should stop talking?” he says flatly.   
  
Claudette laughs at his comment and Jake doesn’t understand how what he said could be so funny.   
  
“If I was my mom and I heard that dream, you know what I would say?”   
  
“What?” Jake asks her, he’s a little intrigued by what she might see in this.   
  
“I would say growing up you had a lot of things you wanted to say but were too afraid of, I think it represents you biting your tongue and holding back” She says to him and Jake scrunches up his face, he doesn't like that answer.   
  
“You’re too afraid to speak and therefore this gum represents you refraining from it and so it’s keeping your mouth shut, making it harder to talk and the reason you keep pulling on it is because you’re fighting with yourself with wanting to be honest and say how you feel. But in the end you never get to say what you want, because you never get the gum out” She finishes and    
Jake is confused on how that makes sense to him and he debates if he wants to tell her about his dream with Michael and Laurie and see what she says about it.   
  
But it's too late, the moment passes as the generator springs to life and Claudette stands up and turns around and looks over at him.   
  
“Sorry for not helping,” He says to her with a sorrowful look, she’s walking up to him now. Jake is still sitting on the stairs. She stands in front of him for a moment before she is bending down and hugging him.   
  
Jake freezes in place at her actions.   
  
“Whatever the case may be for you being around the campfire more, I love having you there”   
She says as she pulls away and looks at him and smiles.   
  
Jake nervously smiles back.   
  
“Though I hope the nightmares stop,” She says with a laugh and Jake cautiously joins in.   
  
They hear another generator spring to life in the distance, no one has gotten hooked yet and Jake wonders what might happen when Michael sees him this trial. He’s going to do his best to make sure he doesn’t   
  
“We should get going though,” Claudette says and they both walk up the stairs.   
  
“Oh, I’m going this way,” She whispers to him and Jake looks behind him and watches as she points in the direction behind the house.   
  
“I was going to find a generator on the street, better to get those out of the way.” He says with a laugh, he’s lying to her. He has no intentions of finding a generator on the street, his only goal for this trial is to avoid Michael at all costs.   
  
“Okay, be safe.” She says to him as she makes her way behind the house and around the corners of the map and Jake walks back over into the street.   
  
He’s making his way around the cop car before his heart starts to race, he goes into hiding.   
It’s getting louder and louder and Jake is starting to feel a little more stressed than normal.   
  
He peaks over the vehicle and watches as Meg runs Michael around a car up ahead, he can see a pallet tucked away near a tree next to a few piles of trash.   
  
Jake figures this is a perfect moment to make a break for it while Michael is occupied with Meg, Jake starts to make his way across the street in front of them.   
  
Jake can hear Meg throw down a pallet and he looks over in their direction, Meg is running off down the street behind Michael as he kicks the pallet into pieces.   
  
Jake is too caught up in watching the whole thing he doesn’t realize that he hasn’t been moving, his eyes grow wide as him and Michael have a stare down.    
  
Jake feels frozen in place, neither of them are moving.   
  
They are just gazing at each other.   
  
Jake swallows hard before quickly turning around and running back into the house he and Claudette were in.   
  
He runs into the front door and slams himself behind the open fireplace sitting in the center of the room, his heart usually races around killers in trials but something about Michael is making this more genuine. Jake clenches his chest and he lets out a deep sigh.   
  
He knows he’s going to have to confront him sooner or later about this, he can’t keep hiding from him. But he’s not sure the best way he can go about doing so.    
  
He’s not good with conflict; with talking about his feelings, with being open and honest, he’s not good with any of that.   
  
Jake’s instincts are to run.   
  
His heartbeat is starting to die down now so he peers around the fireplace. He doesn’t see Michael anywhere in sight and he figures he might have decided to leave him alone.   
  
Jake exhales and scrunches his face up, he feels stuck right now, unsure of what to do.   
  
He decides to make himself useful and try to find the others, he should really find a generator to fix. He makes his way out of the back door of the little house and walks along the edges of the map.    
  
He hasn’t heard or felt anyone getting hooked or injured, he wonders what Michael is doing this match. Jake passes the house of pain and walks over to the boxed in hedges as he rounds the corner he’s colliding with a fellow survivor.   
  
“Ouch,” Jake lets out.   
  
“Oh, Jake it’s you!” She says with a laugh, they pull apart and Meg starts brushing off Jake's shoulders in an attempt to tidy him back up.   
  
“Sorry, I was kind of in the middle of hiding,” She finishes with a smile, she’s placing her hands at her sides now.   
  
“I was kind of doing the same thing,” Jake nervously laughs, he’s rubbing the back of his neck.   
  
“I don’t know if you noticed,” She starts to speak, she’s looking over her shoulder, “Does he seem a little off to you?” She asks him and Jake can feel an emptiness fall into the pit of his stomach at her words. His eyes grow wide and his heart skips a beat.   
  
“What do you mean... Off?” He nervously asks her, he’s trying to not come off as suspicious. He gets the feeling that Michael hasn’t been playing up to par. He wonders if he’s as distracted as he is.   
  
“He seems pretty normal to me,” Jake adds with a nervous laugh.   
  
“I don’t know” Megs says, she’s looking back over at Jake with a pained expression,”He’s just swinging too early, respecting pallets and has been so easy to mind game.” she finishes.   
  
“Do you think maybe you’re just playing really well. That you’re actually good at this?” Jake counters and Megs expression physically changes, he can tell she is thinking about what he just said.    
  
He really doesn't want to give her any ideas that Michael might actually be doing bad.   
  
“I didn't think of it like that,” She says, she’s tapping her index finger on her bottom lip.   
  
“I wouldn’t doubt yourself too much, Megs” Jake tries to reassure her, he knows Meg is good in trials but he also knows that Michael is probably confused himself and might be off his game due to Jake.   
  
“I’ll try not too,” She says with a smile.   
  
Jake returns the action.   
  
“I saw a single generator in the house next door while I was running him around, I think I should probably go work on it,” She says to him and Jake nods.   
  
“I should probably go find one too,” he adds.   
  
Meg lightly punches his shoulder before parting ways, Jake is far too distracted this match to even think about working on generators. He’s focused more on finding a way to avoid Michael.   
  
Jake starts walking back in the direction of the house he was at earlier, he knows he’s not being a good teammate but his fears have clouded his vision right now and all he can think about is getting out of this trial without having to confront Michael.   
  
He can hear a generator spring to life in the distance. Still, no one has gotten hooked yet and Jake is almost starting to feel bad.   
  
He wonders if this could possibly be Michaels way of showing him that maybe he doesn’t have to hurt the others too?    
  
Jake is feeling a little doubtful at the thought.   
  
He’s walking up to the house of pain, he makes his way up the stairs in the back. He looks over at the little cubby on the porch, he can see a dull totem sitting in the corner. He’s not pressed on breaking it right now.   
  
Jake is marveling at how different this realms version of this place is compared to where Michael stays. Jake feels a hint of guilt at the thought, he wishes he could go visit Michael again in his realm.   
  
He can feel that dull ache in his chest again as he thinks about the time they’ve spent together, he would be lying to himself if he didn’t say he missed being near him. Michael is big and comforting and Jake enjoys his company.   
  
Jake can feel himself growing a little dizzy at the thought of the times they’ve touched, Michaels large hands holding his own, the feeling of the mask against his lips. Jake stops for a moment to think.   
  
He knows he’s making the right decision with leaving their friendship behind, he doesn’t want anything to happen to Michael. But something about it is still making his heart feel heavy.   
  
Jake’s thoughts are cut short as he can feel his heartbeat growing louder, he slowly walks over to the back end of the house, he’s standing in front of the basement now. He’s looking down at his feet, eyes fixated on the worn out strip of checkered flooring.   
  
He’s going to hide in this little corner until the feelings pass.   
  
As Jake feels his heart beat even louder he looks over and watches as Michael rounds the corner and Jake jumps in his skin, his eyes shoot open wide and he sucks in a deep breath.   
  
They stare at each other again, no one saying anything, no one moving, just watching.   
  
“I uh…” Jake stutters. He’s not sure how to tell Michael that he doesn't want to see him anymore. Jake has never been good with confrontation and he’s had a million thoughts of how this might go, he was praying that he wouldn’t have to do it this trial.   
  
Michael walks closer to Jake and Jake takes a few steps back and looks up at him.   
  
Michael lifts his left hand up and Jake watches in awe as he gently places his hand on the side of his face.   
  
Jake can hear Michael breathing from under the mask, it’s shallow and deep and Jake is starting to feel dizzy again.    
  
Jake lets out a deep sigh and closes his eyes.   
  
He leans into the touch before coming to his senses and is reminded of what he needs to do, Jake lifts his own hand up and pushes Michaels hand away from his face.   
  
“No….” Jake manages to get out, he’s giving Michael a pained expressions. Michael puts his hand down and Jake starts trying to creep past him out of the corner. He’s trying to avoid eye contact as much as possible.    
  
Michael is still standing in front of him, he’s blocking any way of Jake getting out.   
  
“I can’t” Jake whispers, he looks up at Michael as Michael tilts his head to the side and Jake pushes past him.   
  
“I’m sorry,” Jake says, his voice is shaking and he can feel his emotions welling up in his chest.   
  
Jake quickly runs his way out the back end of the house and Michael’s fist tightens around his knife as he watches Jake leave.   
  
The rest of the match is a disaster, Michael plays with no remorse as if the beginning of the trial never happened. He’s catching Jake’s teammates at a rapid pace, he’s running them off hooks once their feet touch the ground and he starts killing them by his hands when he catches them.   
  
Jake can’t help but feel like this is all his fault. Michael is taking things out on his friends and he feels an endless stream of guilt for the rest of the match as he watches everyone get sacrificed one by one.   
  
But despite everything.   
  
Jake still manages to get out alive.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just give him some time, he'll come to the realization with the help of a friend. I promise <3
> 
> Also, we are almost at the end and I'm getting a little emotional about it Q_Q
> 
> Thanks for reading and for the lovely comments!!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God I was so excited to write this chapter, you have no idea.  
> It's happening friends, it's finally happening!!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this one. 

It's been a few days since the trial and Jake has been avoiding Michael like the plague, he’s spending most of his time with the others around the campfire.

He knows that people have started to notice his peculiar behavior, even Laurie has tried to talk to him about what's going on. Jake has done his best to try and reassure her that he’s fine, but Laurie’s presence is a big reminder of his own actions.

He’s trying not to take anything out on her but he has been a bit stand off-ish to those who ask him questions.

He can’t say he’s been exactly happy at his own decision to end his relationship with Michael, he’s not even sure the man is on the same page as him. He hasn’t seen him since the last trial, but he can feel those lifeless eyes watching him as he sits with his friend around the realm.

Michael has always been good at stalking and Jake sometimes wishes he would slip up just so he could see that pale face again. Jake would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t miss him.

A trial has been underway for a few minutes now and Jake and Meg have been sitting comfortably next to each other, enjoying the sounds of the crackling fire.

She’s leaning on his shoulder, his head on hers, Jake is comfortable right now. Megs presence is warm and welcoming and he didn’t realize how much he missed being around her until she was there.

It’s been quiet for the past few minutes, the only thing Jake can hear is their steady breaths.

Meg shifts in her position, “Can we talk?” She asks him. 

“Sure, whats up?” Jake questions back, Meg is pulling herself out from under Jake’s head and stands straight and tall in front of him.

Jake looks up at her.

“Let's take a walk,” She says with a smile, Jake has a confused look on his face right now and he has a feeling he might know where this is going to go. 

Meg has yet to question him about the recent development of him being around more, he knows she enjoys it, she’s told him first hand. But he wonders if curiosity has killed the cat and she wants some answers.

“Okay,” Jake responds, he’s standing up now and follows as Meg leads the way off into the distance.

“You sure you’re okay with walking in the forest?” Jake asks a little nervously, he’s keeping a steady pace behind her, Meg is a fast walker and Jake prefers to take things slow.

“Don’t worry about me,” She says as she looks over her shoulder and smiles. She stops in time for Jake to catch up and they walk together as far as the light will take them.

She’s not saying anything, it’s silent and Jake wants to get this conversation out of the way.

“So whats up?” He says he knows the answer but he’s humoring her right now.

“I’ve been worried about you,” She’s looking over at him with a concerned look on her face. Jake quickly looks away, he doesn’t like seeing Meg like this.

“Why? I’m fine” He says flatly a little too much poison in his tone.

“Jake you’ve been at the campfire more in the past week than you’ve ever been before, something is going on” She’s still looking at him, Jake can see from his peripheral vision.

“I just… I needed a change.” He pauses

“And change is good, is it not?” he can still feel himself getting annoyed at the constant questions from his fellow teammates, he wishes some of them would just leave him alone and let him brood in peace. 

He knows how he feels will eventually pass and he’ll get over Michael and Michael will catch the hint and start treating him like he does all his friends, then things can go back to how it should be.

Killers kill survivors and survivors escape from killers.

“I guess you’re right,” Meg says curiously.

“Can we drop it?” Jake snaps, he feels bad at how he’s acting right now but he doesn’t want people to worry, especially not Meg.

“Jake, you’re my best friend and as your friend I think I’m allowed to be concerned” she says with a huff of a laugh.

“I appreciate it, I really do,” Jake is honest with what he says, he’s looking over in Megs direction now a pained smile on his face.

“But everything is fine,” He tries to reassure her, But all he can think about is how everything isn’t fine.  
He’s not okay, nothing is okay right now. All he can think about is Michael and how he wants to see him again, he wants better closure than this. If it were up to him he wouldn’t need it, he doesn’t want to lose him.

He cares about Michael a lot; he misses spending time with him, he misses seeing him in trials without feeling like he has to avoid him, he just misses him.

Jake’s face visibly changes at his own thoughts.

“What are you thinking about?” Meg asks him.

Jake looks up at her, “It’s nothing” he responds.

“Jake…” She whispers

“It’s just…” Jake pauses, he’s hesitant on being truthful right now. If there is anyone he knows he could talk to about this it’s Meg. But he still wants to hold back.

“It’s just old demons I guess? They creep up from time to time” He finishes and Meg gives him that look that Jake knows all too well and he’s always had a hard time lying to Meg.

They stare at each other for a few minutes before Jake is letting out a deep sigh.

“Have you ever done something bad that you know would hurt someone you care about if they ever found out?” Jake says, his voice is a lot quieter than normal. He’s starting to open up a bit.

“Well yeah, I’m sure everyone has done that at some point in their life” Meg says with a bit of a laugh.

“I guess so,” Jake whispers.

“But I guess it also depends, it affects you too? Was it necessarily bad?” Meg questions, she’s tapping her index finger on her bottom lip.

“I don’t know if it was bad? It feels bad. I just can’t stop thinking about what it might have done to this person if they ever found out” Jake says, he can feel a weight being lifted off his shoulder as he opens up to Meg about what has been bothering him lately.

He can’t say his actions to stop his friendship with Michael were solely on Laurie, but he still can’t shake the feeling of her finding out that he’s friends with him or even the fact that he’s kissed him.

“Jake, you can’t live your life pleasing others. I thought you of all people would know that” Meg says in a stern voice and Jake lets out a deep sigh.

“I do know that, I just…” He pauses, he’s not sure what to say right now.

Silence washes over them before Meg decides to speak again.

“How did you feel after you did the bad thing?” She questions him

“I was caught up in everything, it was something I wanted to do but I didn’t even know until it happened? I don't know.. It just came over me and I… did the bad thing” Jake says as he puts his head down.

They’ve stopped walking now, they are standing off in the middle of the forest right before the light ends.

“Yeah, but how did it make ‘you’ feel?” Meg emphasizes to him.

Jake scrunches up his face in confusion, “W-what?” he stutters.

“Taking whoever it is you were worried about out of the equation. How did you feel after it?” She adds.

“I…” he stutters again.

“Doesn’t matter if it was the right time or if you were caught up in the moment. Tell me how it made you feel” She says, her voice is comforting and Jake can feel himself relaxing a bit more.

“It was exhilarating,” Jake says, “I felt rebellious, something I know shouldn't be doing but I did it anyway and I would do it again if I had the chance.” he continues, he’s rubbing the back of his neck now.

“I felt elated.” he finishes.

“Jake, If it made you feel that way, was it really all that bad?” She ducks down a bit to get a better look at him.

“I guess not?” He whispers, it’s more of a question than an answer.

“Jake it’s okay to make decisions for yourself without thinking about the consequences of what other people might think. You’ve done it in the past and you told me first hand that they were the best decisions you’ve ever made.” She starts to say, Jake is looking up at her now an intriguing look on his face.

“Be fucking selfish if you have to, do the bad things! What's so horrible about chasing your own happiness? Being honest never hurt anyone, being a liar only hurts you” She finishes and Jake takes this moment to think about everything she’s just said.

He knows he cares about Michael a lot, he doesn’t want to lose him, he still wants to be his friend. He cares about him a lot.

Oh.

Jake’s thoughts come to a halt.

He’s starting to realize that maybe there might be something more to this friendship, he’s hesitant on coming to terms with his own feelings right now. He’s not sure if Michael even feels the same way.

Jake is still taking in everything Meg has said, he’s thinking about her last words. 

She’s right and Jake feels like he can think more clearly now.

“I hear the others, did you wanna head back?” Meg says, she’s using her thumb to point over in the direction of the campfire.

“No, you go ahead Megs,” Jake says, “I think I need a moment out here.”

“Sure thing Jakey, take your time” She leans forward and embraces him into a tight hug.

They pull away with smiles on their faces and Jake feels a little lighter than he did as he watches Meg slowly walk her way back to the growing light.

She fades into the distance and Jake turns around on his heels and makes his way deep into the forest.

He’s going to go see Michael and talk to him, he’s going to be open with his own feelings. Lay everything out on the table and be honest with him.

Jake knows that Michael has yet to say anything to him in their time of knowing each other, he hopes that after he comes clean to him he can understand how Michael might be feeling when he does.

Jake is walking deep into the forest now, he’s taking this time to reflect on everything. He’s thinking of a way to confess his feelings to Michael.

He wants him to know, even after everything and Michael doesn’t want to be friends anymore. Jake would be okay with that, he just wants to get this off his chest.

His fears have been clouding his vision lately, he’s been focusing too much on what others want of him rather than what he wants for himself.

Meg’s right about everything.

Be selfish.

Put yourself first.

His happiness means more than a few bad notions from others.

Jake is realizing that maybe it wasn’t always about doing what's right, maybe he was avoiding the elephant in the room.

He likes Michael.

Something more than a friend.

He knows he’s been trying to come up with an excuse for himself as to why he kissed him that night after he fought with Laurie but every time he came up short.

He convinced himself that he was just caught up in the moment that it was the right time. Much like his night with Laurie, when she tried to kiss him.

He’s been avoiding the bigger picture this past week and it’s only now coming to light thank to Meg.

Jake has spent all his life trying to please other people, spent years doing things that everyone else wanted him to do. Until he finally pulled the plug and made his own decision.

And then he could finally let go.

Jake’s thoughts are cut short as he finds his way to the shaft. He stands under it and looks up. He can hear the faint whispering again as he exhales.

He makes his way over to the rickety ladder and starts crawling his way up. His vision is getting darker as everything starts to go black. He’s crawling deeper into the hole.

Jake can feel the top of the hatch above him, he’s angling himself just right to be able to lift it up. He starts pushing his body up and he’s not sure if it’s the adrenaline he’s feeling about seeing Michael right now but he’s able to flip the wooden top over in one shot.

Jake crawls out of the lid and stands to his feet, he’s taking a good look around. He hasn’t been here in awhile and he’s reminded of how much nicer Michael’s realm is compared to the one the entity has him kill in.

Jake slowly walks his way down the street to Michael’s house, his heart is starting to beat a little faster than normal. He’s not even sure if he’s going to see Michael here. He’s battling with the hopes that he is or isn’t.

The front door is closed shut as Jake stands in front of it, he places his hand on the knob and slowly turns it. 

It clicks open.

Jake finds his way into the opening and looks up. His vision zooms forward and Jake doesn’t remember there being so many stairs.

He takes in his surroundings before making his way up the flight of steps, he wants to get this over with. He wants to be open and honest with Michael. He needs him to know.

Jake’s at the top of the stairs now, the room to the left is still closed but Michaels room door is wide open.

Jake swallows hard as he slowly steps towards his room, he peeks in the doorway and his eyes open wide. 

Michael is standing at the window, the curtains are pulled open and Jake knows that Michael knows he is here. The window gets a perfect view of the street that Jake was just on.

Jake isn’t sure how to start this conversation right now, he didn’t really have a game plan. Jake has never been one to come prepared.

“Uhhh…. Hey,” Jake says with a cough, Michael isn’t moving. He’s still staring out the window.

“I… I wanted to come see you.” Jake says, his voice is a little quieter than normal.

“I wanted to tell you that… That I'm sorry,” he continues, he’s stepping his way inside the room now.

“I’m sorry for avoiding you like that, I’m sorry for hiding from you, for ignoring you and not saying anything and I just…” He puts his head down for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” Jake whispers.

“I...” He stutters

“I like you a lot and it scares me, you’re a killer and I’m a survivor and all I could think about was the Entity and what it might do to us and what Laurie might think if she ever found out,” Jake’s spreading his arms out in defense, his voice is getting louder now.

“But I’ve been thinking about it... and I don’t give a fuck about those things, I don’t want to hide from something that makes me happy for the sake of others.” He’s being honest with Michel right now, he’s laying it all on the table and he can feel the weight being lifted off of his shoulders the more he speaks.

“Fuck what people think” He exclaims.

“Fuck the Entity”

“I care about you” he shouts.

“I like you Michael”

“I like you a lot”

“More than just a friend” He finishes.

“And I just want you to know that… If you don’t want to be my friend anymore because of how I treated you... I understand. We can go back to how things should be” Jake finishes with a sigh, he’s rubbing his biceps now.

Michael is still standing at the window, he starts to move and Jake watches intently as Michael's hands lift up near his own face.

Jake watches with wide eyes as Michael peals the mask off his head, a tuft of curly brown hair emerges from under the confines. Michael is lifting the mask up and off and gently placing it on the window sill.

Jake takes in a gulp as he watches Michael turn around to face him.

He’s met with striking features, curly hair swept to the right side of his face, Jake can make out a long scar on his left eye.

He’s been wanting to know what Michael looks like under the mask and he’s finally getting the chance to see him for who he is and Jake’s face is visibly tinted pink at the sight.

He’s handsome.

Michael slowly starts walking over to Jake and Jake doesn’t move, he feels glued to the ground right now.

He cranes his neck upwards to look at Michael, his eyes are a brilliant blue and Jake is still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he is finally seeing his face.

He feels like he’s dreaming right now.

He can’t read Michael’s expression, his mouth is in a solid line, his eyes are darting back and forth between Jake’s.

He watches as Michael lifts up his hand and gently places it on the side of Jake’s face and Jake exhales a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

He leans into the touch. Michael has always been comforting and his hand on him is reassuring.

“Michael” Jake whispers as Michael places his other hand up to cup the other side of Jake’s face.

They stare at each other for a few moments before Michael is leaning down and kissing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder whats gonna happen next ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) 
> 
> I've written out the last 2 chapters already and it's just a matter of editing them and fixing em up before I post them.
> 
> So this story will come to an end this week Q_Q
> 
> Thanks for reading!!! Much love~


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what this chapter is all about?? LOL
> 
> Hint: It's very spicy while also still managing to be soft.

Michael’s kissing him, his lips are soft and gentle and Jake closes his eyes at the touch. He’s taking in a breath as Michael slowly pulls away with a light smacking noise.

He flutters his eyes open and looks up at Michael, those piercing blue eyes are staring intently back at him. Jake lifts his own hands up and places them on either side of Michael's face. 

They are observing each other. Staring like they always do.

Jake sucks in a breath as he pulls Michael’s face forward and is smashing their lips together again, Michael follows the motion and pushes forward. Causing Jake to walk back a few steps. 

Jake is tilting his head to the side to deepen the kiss a bit more and Michael complies.

Michael continues to push Jake backwards as they walk themselves into the wall next to the open door.

Michael moves his hand to drag it through Jake’s hair, tilting his head back against the wall. Jake lightly opens his mouth, letting a faint moan escape past his lips.

Jake pulls Michaels face closer to him and Michael reaches down and inunison Jake is jumping up as Michael lifts him up into his arms. Jake wraps his legs around Michaels waist as they continue to kiss against the wall.

Jake can feel Michaels tongue gently glide across his bottom lip and Jake feels himself getting lost in the moment.

He’s pulling himself away from Michael to pull his scarf up and over his head before placing his hands back onto Michael's face and diving back on his lips.

Jake is humming into Michael's mouth as they continue to connect against the wall, Jake wants more than what he’s getting right now.

His hands slide down Michael’s neck to the front of his chest, he’s trying to find the zipper to the taller mans coveralls. When he finds it he’s shoving it down as low as it can go, It doesn’t make it too far down Michael's body before Jake is getting frustrated. 

He’s getting hotter the more they stay up against the wall and Jake wants skin contact. He pulls his hands away from Michaels open clothes and quickly starts undressing himself.

“Ahh” Jake whispers into Michael's mouth.

He’s tossing his gloves off at a rapid pace before struggling to find the zipper on the front of his green trail jacket. He manages to unzip it in between kissing and starts trying to pull himself out of it. It’s a difficult action while being pushed up against the wall but Jake manages to get his arms out and throws it onto the floor. Jake is left in a light blue button up.

They continue to kiss as Jake frantically unbuttons his own shirt.

Michael lifts Jake up a bit and pulls him off the wall, they continue to be connected as Michael walks them over to his bed.

He gently lays Jake down onto the mattress and crawls over top of him, Jake’s legs fall to Michaels sides.

Michael takes this new position into his own hands as he gently thrusts their clothed erections together and Jake pulls away from Michaels mouth to let out a strained moan.

“F-fuck” Jake lets out.

Michael pushes their lips back together and grinds down a few more times, he’s turning Jake into a puddle. Jake is bucking his hips up everytime Michael comes back down.

Jake is becoming more frantic, he’s finishing unzipping Michaels coveralls and starts to quickly shove them off his arms. Michael follows him and starts peeling himself out of his clothes as they continue to make out.

He manages to get them down to his waist line, Michael is still wearing a black shirt underneath and Jake lets out another frustrated sigh at the amount of fabric still on his body.

“I need...” Jake is being cut off by a kiss.

“More” he gets out with a gasp as Michael thrusts down again. Jake throws his head back onto the bed.

Michael sits back onto his heels and looks down at Jake, his face is still expressionless and Jake feels like he should get used to that even outside of the mask.

He’s lifting up one of Jake’s legs and starts slipping off his shoes, he’s careful with his actions but he slowly starts stripping Jake out of his clothes.

Jake can’t help but swallow as he hears his boots hit the ground next to the bed. He can feel Michaels big hands dragging up the tops of his legs and sitting at the waistband of his cargo pants.

Michael unzips him, Jake can feel his trousers being pulled off as he lay there impatiently waiting.

Jake sits up on his elbows, his light blue shirt slipping off one of his shoulders as he looks down at Michael.

Michael doesn’t make eye contact, he lifts his hand up and gently drags it along the outline of Jake’s cock through his boxers. 

Jake tilts his head back as he lets out a loud moan.

“Fuck,” Jake manages to get out as he feels Michael’s hand dance along the front of him.

Michael places his thumbs near the top of Jake’s boxers and pauses, Jake looks down at him. He’s staring at him now.

They share a knowing look before Michael is hooking his fingers in Jake’s underwear and pulling them down. Jake’s cock springs free. He inhales at the feeling of the cool air on his body as Michael pulls him out of his clothing.

Jake is still watching Michael as he sits between his legs, his hand hovers over his free cock. Michael looks back up at Jake and they stare at each other again as he reaches down and wraps his hand around Jake.

Jake bites his lip and holds back a moan as Michael starts to pump him in his hand. Michael is still watching him and Jake is starting to feel a bit embarrassed right now with Michael staring him down like this.

He continues to flick his wrist and Jake’s breath begins to get more ragged and shaky. 

Michael pauses his pace as he gently drags his thumb along Jake’s slit and Jake falls back onto the bed and lets out a strangled cry

Michael continues to circle his thumb around his head and Jake starts panting even louder, he can feel heat pooling in his stomach the longer Michael teases him.

“S-s-stop… I need” Jake pants out, but Michael continues back to thrusting his hand up and down.

It takes a good amount of energy for Jake to sit back up and look at Michael. He’s still watching him and Jake can feel heat rising in his cheeks as he watches Michael jerk him off.

Michael twists his hand the right way that gets Jake gasping again.

“I want you…” Jake pants.

“...inside me” He manages to get out, he’s reaching his hand down to try and stop Michael from continuing anymore.

Michael pauses his action and takes his hand off Jake’s cock, Jake whines at the loss of contact. 

Michael crawls back over top of Jake and Jake watches with wide eyes as he leans over him and digs his hand into the golden toolbox sitting on his bedside table.

He finishes rummaging through the metal and continues to hover over Jake, Jake watches intently as Michael looks back down at him.

He leans down and captures Jake’s lips with his own and Jake sighs into the kiss. He wraps his hands around Michael’s neck and pulls him down closer.

It lasts only a few moments before Michael is pulling away from him and sits back onto his heels again between Jake’s legs, he’s moving further back now this time.

Michael places the little bottle in his hand down at his side and puts his hands on top of Jake’s legs. He’s dragging his hands up his thighs, the sensation is sending shivers down Jake’s spine.

Michael places his large hands on either side of Jake’s body, he gently starts rubbing circles onto his hips and Jake looks down at his actions.

He’s melting at the touch before Michael is roughly pulling Jake down at his hips and angling him up on top of his own knees.

Jake lets out a squeak at Michaels movements and his head falls back onto the mattress. 

He pushes Jake’s legs up towards his chest and spreads them wide open and Jake’s face goes red at Michael’s gesture. 

Michael looks down at Jake and Jake swallows hard, he gently pushes on his legs and Jake gets the feeling he wants him to hold them. Jake complies as he hooks his arms underneath his own knees.

Michael leans back, he’s picking up the bottle at his side and brings it up to his chest. Jake watches closely as Michael opens the container and drips it’s contents into his index and middle finger.

Michael rubs his fingers together for a few moments before he’s bringing them down between Jake’s legs. Jake’s holding his breath as he feels Michael’s index finger circling around his hole, his finger is a little colder than he would like but the sensation of it is making Jake’s head spin.

Michael slowly pushes his finger into Jake and Jake takes in a short gasp, he’s closing his eyes shut tight. Jake stutters as Michael pushes in a little deeper. His finger makes it inside to his knuckle and he pauses.

He slowly pulls his finger out and gently pushes it back into Jake’s body and Jake is holding his breath with every move Michael makes. His eyes are still clenched shut, it’s a new sensation to him and he’s trying to get used to it.

Michael is setting a steady pace as he slowly fucks his index finger in and out of Jake. Jake is still holding onto his own legs for support.

Michael picks up the bottle that's been sitting at his side still, he pulls his finger out and pours more liquid onto his digits.

Jake takes this moment to steady his breathing, he knows they’ve barely started opening him up and Jake isn’t even sure how big Michael might be, but he has a feeling that this might take awhile.

Jake scrunches up his face as he feels a second finger entering him slowly.

“F-f-fuck” He whispers.

Michael looks up at Jake, Jake has a pained expression on his face as he fills him up with another finger.

Jake inhales loudly as he feels something touch him, he opens his eyes and looks down. Michaels face is between his legs, he’s gently kissing his inner thighs as he thrusts his fingers in and out of him.

Something about the gesture is sweet and Jake can feel his heart grow a little fuller at the sight. 

Michael continues to kiss up his leg as he starts to scissor his fingers inside of Jake. Jake falls back down and lets out a loud gasp. 

He can finally feel himself getting adjusted to the sensation of Michaels fingers inside of him. 

“I need…” Jake pants.

“More”

Michael stops his movements and pulls out for a second before slipping in a third finger and pushing back in.

“God” Jake lets out, his breathing is getting shallower as Michael thrusts his digits in and out of him. 

Michael takes his free hand and brings it in front of Jake and wraps it around his leaking cock and starts flicking his wrist.

Jake’s holding onto his own legs for purchase as he lets out a few strangled moans. 

Michael is pacing his thrust on Jake’s cock in time with the thrusts inside of him and it’s turning Jake into a withering mess.

Jake’s moans fill the air as Michael continues to play him like an instrument. 

“I-I’m…. Ahhhhh” Jake cries out as Michael continues his motions on his body.

Jake can feel the heat pooling deeper in his lower abdomen, his heart is beating fast and the room feels like it’s spinning.

“I-I’m gonna…I’m...Close” Jake calls out and that doesn’t stop Michael from continuing his actions, he’s pumping Jake faster now and fucking his fingers deeper into him and it isn’t long before Jake is seeing stars and is shooting cum all over his own stomach.

Jake can feel his body go limp as he lets go of his own legs and they drop to Michaels sides. Michael is pulling his fingers out of him and releasing his hand from Jake’s cock.

Jake is laying there with his eyes closed as he tries to catch his breath. Michael sits back up and starts to pull his black shirt over his head. He carefully wipes Jake’s stomach off and places the clothing next to him.

Jake opens his eyes and looks down at Michael, he’s met with a broad chest of porcelain skin.

“I” he pauses.

“Want you” Jake pants out.

Michael sits up straight, he’s pushing his coveralls down a little lower and starts to pull himself out of his clothes. Jake watches with wide eyes as Michael frees his own cock, Jake swallows hard.

He’s bigger than he thought.

Jake scooches himself closer to Michael as he spreads his legs and Michael angles himself at Jake’s entrance. Michael leans down on top of Jake, he’s hovering over his lips and Jake’s eyes flutter.

Michael slowly and painfully starts pushing himself into Jake and Jake sucks in a deep breath. It’s painful at first and Jake had a feeling that three fingers wasn’t enough but he adjusts pretty fast as their bodies connect.

“Y-you’re… So…Fuck” Jake gasps out. 

Michael leans forward and kisses him and Jake wraps his legs around Michael’s waist. Michael slowly pulls out for a brief moment before pushing himself back in.

He’s setting a slow pace right now as they continue to kiss and Jake is ravishing in the sensation of Michael filling him up. 

He’s moaning into Michael's mouth as he steadily fucks into him. Michael starts to kiss the side of Jake’s face. He’s hovering near Jake’s ear now as he lets out a few shaky breaths.

Michael continues to slowly thrust into him, everything is soft and sweet but Jake gets the feeling that Michael is struggling to get off right now and Jake wonders if Michael might be rough around the edges.

“F-fuck me” Jake whispers as Michael pushes in and out of him.

“Harder” He continues and Michael pauses for a moment.

“I can take it” He finishes and Michael sits back on his heels, he’s looking in Jake’s direction now. 

They share a knowing look.

He carefully lifts one of Jake's legs up and places it over his shoulder, he’s taking the other leg and pushing it open and he starts to quickly thrust inside of Jake.

Jake closes his eyes and sucks in a breath.

Michael’s pace starts to pick up as he slams his cock in and out of Jake, Jake can’t help but cry out.

“Ahhh.. Fuck” he pants out.

Michael is gentle when he needs to be with Jake, but he is still a killer at heart and Jake is starting to see that sometimes he needs to be like this.

Jake can hear Michael panting above him and it’s making his head spin, he rarely ever makes a sound and Jake wonders if he would be lucky tonight to hear something more.

Jake can feel precum from his own cock leaking onto his stomach as Michael snaps his hips.

Michael unhooks Jake’s leg from over his shoulder and places it at his side, he’s leaning forward and kissing Jake again.

Jake is still panting from Michael’s actions. He pulls away and starts to kiss down Jake’s face, he’s dragging his hand up and holds the side of Jake’s neck.

“Do it,” Jake moans out.

Michael pauses at Jake’s words.

“I’ll… I’ll be okay” He whispers.

Michael pushes himself over top of Jake and looks at him. If Michael could talk Jake gets the feeling he would be asking him if he was sure and Jake has never been more sure of himself right now.

Jake nods as he bites his bottom lip.

Michael sits up and drags his hands up along Jake’s chest, he makes his way up to his neck and hovers there for a moment.

Michael steadily wraps his large hands around Jake’s neck and Jake lets out a gasp at the touch.

Michael goes back to quickly pushing himself in and out of Jake as he slowly tightens his hands around him.

Jake swallows hard as he feels the breath being sucked away from him.

Michael starts to pick up his movement and fucks his cock harder into Jake. Jake desperately moans at the sensation.

Michael has full control over Jake right now and Jake can feel the heat pooling in his lower abdomen again as Michael’s hands tighten a little more around him.

Jake’s eyes roll to the back of his head as Michael’s thumbs dig into his neck and he fucks him into the mattress.

Jake hears Michael grunting above him and the sound does just enough to push him over the edge and Jake is cuming all over his own stomach again.

Michael releases Jake’s neck so he can catch his breath and after a few more hard thrusts into him Michael’s hips are stuttering and he is following soon after.

The air is filled with heavy breathing as Michael pulls out of him and sits back.

Jake puts his arm over his eyes as Michael starts to clean them up with his black shirt that was sitting near their sides.

“Fuck” Jake exhales. He's exasperated and tired from their activities.

“We just???” he stutters.

“I??” he's shocked by his actions, he’s trying to take in and accept everything that just happened over the past little while. 

He’s flinging his arm off his face as he sits up onto his elbows and looks down at Michael with a confused look on his face.

“W-what...” he stutters again.

“What does this…” Jake’s mouth is open wide, he’s struggling with forming coherent words right now and Michael is tilting his head at him and Jake loves it when he does that.

“Do you…”

“Like me too?” he questions and Michael gives him his first expression of the night, It's a pained look, He’s knitting his brows together as he looks at Jake.

Michael places the piece of clothing in his hand off to the side and crawls on top of Jake and gently kisses him, it's comforting and Jake starts to relax a bit at the touch. He can feel himself getting lost in the moment again, how he’s used to being with Michael.

Michael pulls away from Jake’s mouth and they stare at each other again and Jake knows he’s overthinking right now.

Michael moves to Jake’s side and Jake rolls over in his direction. They settle down on the mattress and face each other.

Jake can feel heat rising in his cheeks as he looks at Michael.

Michael carefully reaches down and connects his fingers with Jakes, he lifts them up toward his mouth and Michael gently kisses their hands before settling them down on the bed.

Jake is still wondering about his question, but something about Michael’s actions right now are telling and Jake feels like he gets his answer.

They lay there for a good part of the night, hands interlocked, staring at each other.

Just like they’re used to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jake still continues to be an idiot even after everything and I love him. LOL
> 
> One more chapter to go friends, I will probably have it out in 2 or 3 days.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading and for all the lovely comments.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you guys I would finish this fic, never doubt me again lol :p
> 
> First, I just want to thank everyone who has stuck with me through these past 2 months.  
> You don't know how much it means to me <3   
> All the kudos, comments, bookmarks and hits. I appreciate every single one of you!   
> Now take this short and sweet last chapter to conclude this bad boy.

Jake leaves Michael’s realm that night with a little skip in his step, he feels himself slowly letting go of the guilt he has if Laurie ever found out and the horrifying ideas of what the entity might do to them.

Maybe his dream was right when it told him to let go, maybe he was looking at it in all the wrong ways. He’s finally decided to do that, he’s taking Megs advice into his current and future actions.

He’s being selfish with his feelings for Michael.

He’s making what other people might see as a bad decision but it doesn’t matter because Jake is happy.

So happy that he’s been basking in those feelings around the campfire and the others can’t help but worry, Jake does everything in his power to reassure them that he’s fine and nothing is wrong.

But some of them can’t help but wonder when Jake is smiling ear to ear after certain trials or coming out of the forest a little giddier than someone should be.

Jake has been more upbeat about the life he has to live now, He’s excited for trials now in hopes to see Michael.

If they are lucky enough and hidden far away from the other survivors during a match, they share a kiss or even a few lingering touches. They glance knowing looks with one another and Jake finds the feelings in his chest growing more enamored with Michael than he would like to admit.

They are doing a good job at hiding their relationship from the others, it’s starting to progress at a fast pace.

Jake visits Michael more often outside of trials, they spend a decent amount of time together in each other's realms. A quick visit to say ‘hello’ in Jake’s world when they miss each other and a few hours in Michaels for something more intimate.

Everything is okay, Jake is finally feeling okay again. With every passing trial, moonlight and dimly lit campfire, Jake is feeling a little more at peace with things.

Michael is gentle with him and Jake wonders what he ever did to the man to make him this way, though he isn’t complaining.

The entity has yet to punish them and he is taking everything one day at a time. He gets the feeling that this is going to be how it is from now on and Jake is okay with that.

There’s currently a trial underway and Jake was lucky enough to be left behind.

He’s out in the forest right now. Michael has been sitting under the willow tree, his mask at his side, a crow in his hand as he waits for Jake.

Jake makes his way over to him, “Sorry it took so long” He says with a laugh. He’s falling to his knees in front of Michael

He leans forward and carefully kisses Michael on the lips, it doesn't last long before Jake is pulling away. 

They stare at each other for a few moments, before Michael is reaching up and placing his hand on the side of Jake’s face as he tilts his head.

Jake lets out a soft sigh as he basks in the feelings of Michael's touch.

Michael leans forward and gently places another kiss onto Jake's lips and carefully pulls away, leaving Jake with a light blush on his cheeks. 

Jake smiles and carefully scoops up the bird out of Michaels hands and into his own.

He turns around and sits between the taller man's legs. Michael wraps his arms around Jake’s waist to pull him in a little closer and he places his chin on top of Jake’s head.

They sit in silence most of the time and as much as Jake wishes Michael could speak, he always enjoys the quietness of things around him and Michael’s company is more than enough for him.

Michael’s hand comes into view as he uses his index finger to pet the little creature, it leans into the touch and Jake can’t help but smile at the action.

Jake lays back onto Michaels chest, he’s comfortable with everything right now. Jake can feel the steady beats of Michaels heart as he leans up against him and Jake could get used to this feeling.

The crow pulls away and flaps its wings a few times and Jake and Michael watch as it flies away into the moonlight.

Jake is amazed at how comfortable the crows are with Michael now and how careful Michael is with them.

Jake has spent some time teaching him about the forest and the animals and he is surprised with how much nature loves Michael.

And Jake is beginning to feel that nature isn’t the only one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I held off on putting this chapter up because I commissioned a-happy-Jake to draw the final scene for this fic and I wanted her to finish it before I posted this!
> 
> pls go give it a look. its sooooooo amazing and is everything I ever wanted. Q_Q
> 
> <https://a-happy-jake.tumblr.com/post/619020602673594368/a-commission-for-the-beautiful-imsunnydee-for>
> 
> Again, thank you all so much for your support on this fic! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did writing it.
> 
> I'll see you guys again real soon.
> 
> Thanks again everyone~


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